Monopoly of Life
by Liath Shadow
Summary: Harry has died. Again. And Death is rather tired of giving him hands up. It's a leg-up she's giving him this time. pairings: none yet! Multi-crossover, but starwars is second largest influence aside from Potter.
1. The end of a beginning

I've had a whole bunch of Beta readers for this story, all of them awesome. My fiancée, Angel, my best friend from the FFML days, Zen, sjcrew, coworker and friend, Cheri, also coworker, Alpha Centauri, the Prime Saggitarian! from the old FFML days, although he goes by Polenicus now, And Brian, a friend I met at work one fateful night.

Please enjoy!

Monopoly of life

Chapter 1

Harry woke with a start; last thing he remembered was facing Voldemort after waking up in the forbidden forest. Looking around, he expected to see the Hogwarts express again, but instead he faced a faceless woman.

On the table between them, there appeared to be a game board already in play. The game looked familiar, but it seemed wrong. Four names on the board that stood out were Ron and Ginny on the dark purple squares, and Luna and Hermione on dark blue squares, all by the big square that said Go.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, still examining the board.

"It should be obvious to you, since you're dead again." The faceless woman spoke, as she also looked down at the board.

"If I'm dead again, how come I'm not at the Hogwarts express?" Harry asked, confused.

"We did the Hogwarts express the first ten times, and I just stopped counting after fifteen."

"What do you mean fifteen times? I only remember being dead once!"

"Harry, do you truly believe that mortals are meant to remember the gates of death? The time you remember was due to truly extenuating circumstances."

Harry asked, "So what's different now? Why am I remembering this?"

The faceless woman explained, "I've given up on you. You can't do this alone. I'm giving you a leg up."

Harry asked, "Isn't that supposed to be a hand up?"

"I've stopped giving you hands up long before this."

"What do you mean?" Harry wondered.

"Every time you pass through here something changes when you go back. The hand-ups were a bit more subtle than this. When you encountered the change, you would have a sense of Deja-vu. But as you continued to come through here the changes became more pronounced. Like this last time, calling Dumbledore an old goat fucker probably caused most of the problems for you."

"What problems were those, I didn't notice any."

"Well, for starters, he was drugging you seven ways from Sunday"

"He never gave me any potions"

"Three love potions, two loyalty potions, an intelligence blocking potion, and a power blocker every week."

"But, I don't remember taking any potions."

"The weekly food from Mrs. Weasley, as well as all the food from the elves in the kitchens."

"Supposing you're right, what about my love for Ginny?"

"What love for Ginny?"

"The love I…ummm…I honestly don't know."

"Exactly"

Flustered, Harry looked down at the game board in more detail. Now that Harry looked at the board more closely, it looked a lot like monopoly that his cousin played before destroying it. The names, however, didn't look like the avenues, but more like people's names. Close to harry, he saw mortgaged property cards for Ginny, Ron, Arthur, Gred, Forge, and Hermione. Most of the other names on the board harry couldn't make out, and many had houses and hotels on them. There were four pieces on the board that he could see, a dog, sitting in gaol, another piece, looking like a circle, with a triangle and a line inside of it, almost like the sign of the deathly hollows, sitting on start. A wheelbarrow, sitting where Water Works should be, but Ministry of Magic was instead, and lastly, a boot sitting on one of the railroad points

Another thing Harry noticed was that in the middle of the board, laid another set of tiles, which seemed to intersect at each of the railroads. And when he started from a railroad, four other boards, all currently name-blank, focussed up in the center of the board

Each of the railroad points, however, only showed up in that center board when he started from that railroad, otherwise it was a seamless inner board, almost like super monopoly, but currently...blank.

"I'm sorry," Harry stuttered, "but what is going on with the board? It looks strange, and I can't really focus on the centre of it,"

"Would you believe," the woman sounded, almost pleased, "that this was the first time you've seen the board in all of your visits? The very first time. And the center of the board, think of those as divergence points. Each of them is a path that you could add to your journey. Some of the paths you can choose will add friends, some add abilities, and some just add very relevant knowledge. You humans tend to get a new path every four years, until you reach the age of twenty one. And if your extra paths remain empty, you can still add them all the way until the end. Truly, humans are a most...interesting species."

"Divergence points? choice? How could I choose a divergence point?" Harry asked, confused.

"Most humans choose a divergence by deciding they would like to do something new. These choices can be influenced by people you know, things you see, things you _read_, things you imagine, things you remember. All of this can go into a divergence. And you don't always get what you want, but sometimes, you get what you need. Any _skill_ you want would have to be practiced religiously for an extended period, to retain any of it, and you would always need to practice it to get more."

Harry stared at the board, thinking. After a few minutes, he looked up at the woman, "Who are you? Why are you helping me like this?"

"My name? I have been called many things, mostly uncomplimentary. What I am, is an aspect of Death. The path eternal and ever ending. I have existed before the universe began, and when everything has finally died, I will lock the universe behind me. You can call me Orchid. And as to why I help you? Your first death...was literally centuries before its scheduled time. And in such pain, that I couldn't help but look. I am helping you, because I want to help you get it _right_. Two centuries were allotted to you, and you have yet to make it past two decades. Betrayal aplenty, intrigue galore, not a single person who was honestly on _your_ side. I have tried over and over to keep you on the path, and a few times you've specifically asked to forget.

On the board, in the centre, a pile of money, and a stack of what looked like cards, whether tarot or standard, harry did not know, but the cards in particular flashed when Orchid mentioned the forgotten memories.

"Some of those memories, I think you _should_ know. But even I am bound by the terms of the game. You only have so much money, and memories cost that and more. Thankfully, you've succeeded in something else for the first time." Orchid waved her hand at the dice, showing a pair of fives, "You have, through the rules, gotten...an extension. Some more money for your hand, and a few discarded memories besides." As harry watched, the dice glowed as well, and then the dog, sitting in gaol, hopped along to the next corner on the board. Free parking. All the loose money in the centre of the board stacked itself, and then moved to Harry's side. Close to $15,000 in play money now in his hands, Harry looked back at the cards. "Those, discarded as they are, still cost you to claim. The cheaper memories give hints, nothing more, the more expensive memories outright state problems that need to be solved. Some come with side effects, which cannot truly be avoided, but merely held back for a time."

Just before Harry could lay the money down again to buy the memories, Orchid raised her voice, "think twice before buying the memories. You are dead remember, and it also costs to go back to fix mistakes. The farther back, the more it costs, and over time, your bank has sorely been depleted. The money has to last you, not just for the journey, but also to survive on, for you haven't gotten as much from your parents as you think. Friendships do not cost, nor do choices, but upkeep for friendship can, if you are not careful."

Harry looked down at his hands, "This...feels like a lot of money. But it won't last long, will it? Is this actual money? Or representative? Is it British pounds, or galleons? I don't know the conversion."

Orchid smiled, "all good questions. It is representative money, and the numbers are not absolute. Some is of each kind mentioned. You don't have to pay for schooling, that is already done. Nor do you have to pay for your home, as you live with family of sorts. Anything extra comes out of that, and if you don't keep track of your finances, other people can spend your money for you. Your first life, you actually had much more than that, and all of it was spent before you faced the dragon. There is a reason no-one let you see your vault after your third year."

Harry looked at Orchid, stunned, "But, will this be gone as well?"

Orchid smiled, "All that you keep from this, will be safe until you reach the Alley for the first time. Once you unseal the vault for the first time, anyone with a key can get in. And contrary to what the goblins think, the keys CAN be copied."

Harry started to speak, and then stopped. He looked at his hands a bit longer, and then said, "I'd like to buy three memories please. The ones...you think are most important."

Orchid shook her head, "They are all important, because they are all a part of you. But I can help you a little." The disorganized pile of memory cards straightened themselves on the board, into three piles. "These three piles cost differently, both in money, and in side effects. The first pile, is five hundred per memory, and has a high chance of side effects. The second pile is one hundred per memory, and has only a moderate chance of side effects. The last pile is fifty each memory, and has a low chance of side effects. All side effects are different, and they, when they hit you first, affected your soul, and therefore will affect you once you receive them. Please, choose."

Harry eyed the piles, and then took one from each pile, the top from the five hundred pile, the third card down from the one hundred pile, and the bottom card from the fifty pile. He then looked at the board some more. More names shimmered into view along the boardwalk side. Greengrass. Bones. Malfoy. On the New York side, Abbott and Diggory. Only one new card showed up on his side, again, unfortunately, mortgaged. Luna. Harry stared at his cards, and noted that his money in hand felt a tiny bit lighter. "I want to go back eight years," Harry whispered, "time enough to train, time enough to learn. Time to look into those divergences."

Again the money in Harry's hand dwindled, and Orchid smiled, "Then back you go. To just before your tenth birthday. You will have a year to train yourself before your first friend arrives, spend it wisely." Harry just had time to notice that he had less than $7000 left, before darkness engulfed him, and existence faded.

* * *

When Harry woke up, he first thought he was back in the Forbidden Forest, as he had something poking him in the back. But when he sat up, he ran into something right above his head. Some noise in the background sounded a lot like orchestral music, heavy on the brass. Harry felt around his surroundings, and flickers of light helped him remember. He was under the stairs again, locked in his cupboard. At first, he was confused, and then his eyes widened. The day was familiar. All the Dursley's were watching a Television show, a movie marathon more like. He quickly crawled up to the door, and peered through the slats, and watched as troopers in white shot at people in a long hallway

"Bring me the passengers, I want them alive!" Harry watched in awe, as he tried to commit as much of the movie to memory, even as he enjoyed it for the first time ever, for the second time.

* * *

Harry focussed on the rock in front of him. He had just been through another "game" of Harry Hunting, and was hiding in a park waiting for the bruises to calm down. He was also practicing what he could of the movies that he saw, trying to feel the rock in front of him, so he could lift it up. He had also just been practicing during the Harry Hunting, trying to dodge as many of the blows as he could. He wasn't doing well, but that was fine with him. Every road needs a first step to be taken. And as the rock on the ground twitched, he knew that he _would_ find his path.

Slowly, as the days turned into weeks, and Harry's summer ebbed away, he found a modicum of control available in his new ability. While he could not lift much, a hamburger being beyond his lifting ability, he could lift small stones, and occasionally lessen blows upon him from his cousin. He made sure that no-one could see his practice, but he knew it would help him. Someday.

* * *

Again, Harry found himself locked in the cupboard under the stairs as the Dursley's settled themselves in to watch another movie. This one was obviously fake, with one of the scientists having a so-called syko kinectic energy meter. Although some of the quotes in the show were memorable in their own rights, and...Proton pack? Isn't that like positive energy? That sounded a lot like that one spell he learned in third year. Patro something. Getting more and more fascinated, Harry watched deeper into the show, again memorizing as much as he could. "If someone asks if you are a god, you say YES!" Harry snickered.

Over the next weeks, Harry found himself going to the library more and more, first to study for School, as that was starting up again, and more to research information on ghosts. For all that non-magical people didn't know for certain about ghosts, they sure did gather up a lot of information that could help even a fledgling wizard like him. He couldn't always reach the books he needed, but pulling them down with his new "force" ability was strangely satisfying. He still couldn't lift much, but this new research helped him more. It gave him the idea that emotion, while anathema to control, sometimes gave a boost in power. Many ghosts, when calm, rarely could move or lift things, but when they were emotional, they could touch, lift, and even throw. He never did find all the words that Egon used all the time, and Ray's enthusiasm made him even harder to remember, but remembering the quotes he did was still worth giggling over. "It's a fifty foot tall stay-puft marshmallow man."

That night, harry dreamed. The dream itself seemed fuzzy, but for certain he remembered a board game in front of him. Reading railroad glittering gold, and new names could be seen. Obi-wan. Stantz. Spengler. Yoda. Two cards sitting in front of him, but he couldn't see their names. And they _weren't mortgaged yet_. Harry woke up, grinning. He was on the right track, he just KNEW it.

* * *

Again Harry found himself running from his cousin after school. Somehow, they figured out that Harry was dodging their attacks, and they only got more vicious in response. Harry ran, afraid for his life, as his cousin and the gang chased him. Stumbling, Harry fell into some bushes, scraping his knees on some rocks. Huddling under the bush, Harry found a round stone, oddly reflective, about an inch in diameter. The colour reminded him of something. A show he glimpsed in the future. He hoped he remembered everything, as he picked up the stone.

(Picture: www moonmarble com slash p-1537-monarch-boulders dot aspx )

Harry whispered to the stone. A marble maybe? He didn't know. But the memory burned, and he couldn't do anything BUT speak. "I am the one who received this mission. Under your contract, release those powers to me. Winds to the sky, Stars to the heavens, and the unwavering soul to this heart. Magic to these hands, Raging Heart, set up!" He lifted his hands during the chant, ending in a yell. He felt a pull, even as a ringing bell echoed in his ears. "Stand by, ready. Set up." He distantly heard his cousin yelling, then feet pounding, fading in the distance, as it looked like a rip tore into the sky above him, the marble glowing in his hands.

-la scene break miniature-

Chrono charged onto the bridge as alarms blared, "What's going on?"

Amy replied, "There's a dimensional rip to the stern of us!" her fingers flew over the keyboard, "triangulating"

"Any damage?" Chrono looked at all of the blaring red screens declaring 'Alert'. He didn't see any damage indicators, although one screen off to the side in communications seemed to be acting strange.

"No damage," Amy reported briskly, "Although there is an unrecognized contact. Contact connected. Guest account?" Amy paused, confused, "We still have a guest account?"

"Trace it!" Chrono commanded, tapping at other panels.

"Traced to the rift behind us," Amy replied, still typing away. "Triangulating...five hundred meters to the stern of the ship. Tear is...one meter across, and closing."

"Where is it coming from?" Chrono tried to get to the sensors, even knowing that he wouldn't get there in time.

"It appears...to be an analogue of Earth." Amy looked up, surprised.

Chrono growled, "Contact Takomachi Nanoha. We might need her and section six to look into this."

-la scene break miniature-

Above Harry, the rip in the sky grew to a meter in diameter, and the glowing light speared right into it. For ten seconds, the light speared, and a growing pain coalesced in Harry's chest, and then suddenly the pain dissipated, and the tear closed itself.

"Set-up incomplete. Download interrupted. Linker core disconnected as per safety protocols. Standing by."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Harry whispered, tears in his eyes, "I'm so sorry, I hurt you I'm sorry," Harry clutched the marble to his chest, even as the clenching in his chest relaxed.

After a few minutes, Harry stopped apologizing to the marble. The pain had finally disappeared completely, but he was still feeling off. Harry held the marble in his hand as he crawled out of the bush, and then jogged to the library. Harry hunting apparently finished for the day, maybe he could recover the homework he had lost when his cousin assaulted him after school. It was going to be a long night.

Days passed, and over time, Harry noticed a light ringing tone whenever he used his new ability with levitation. A barely heard "Analyzing" in the back of his head whenever he focussed on avoiding his cousin's gang. He kept his new marble with him, everywhere he went. Whenever he tried to talk to the marble, however, the response in turn was either 'calculating' or 'analyzing'. Eventually, he started ignoring the whispered tones, though he never forgot about them.

* * *

"A new apprentice I see. Far away, you are. Interesting, very interesting." Harry was sure he was dreaming. He specifically remembered crawling into his cupboard, but for some reason he was now in the middle of a jungle. Everything looked different here, and some animals he never saw in the library. Then there was a creature that looked suspiciously like Yoda from the movies he watched almost a year ago.

"Suspicious I am? Suspicious YOU are! Know you the rules. If the apprentice to you cannot you bring, to the apprentice must you go."

Harry raised his hand to the creature, "Yoda? What ARE you? I can't find anything about you..."

Yoda looked at harry, and smirked. "Wise you are, to admit that which you do not know. Know you, perhaps, what a mule is? A race born of two other races, but unable to procreate. A frog, we have been called. Born of a race of incredible wisdom, and a race of incredible martial ability. Born of love we are, but none can we give in return. No name has our race, for we cannot procreate on our own. Your questions, does that answer?"

Harry smiled, "It tells me enough. While I could always wish for more, better to learn what I need."

"Well said youngling. Receiving education, you are, from your school? Hmm? So left to me it is, for your training in the Force. Show me, please, what you know."

Harry lifted his arm, and a small stone beside him, as he said, "I know very little. I can lift things right now, and I can sometimes dodge people hitting me. I don't know if I can learn to hit back right now, as I've only got the one place to live, and no-one else can take me in." Unbidden, tears dripped from his eyes, "They're my family, and it's the only place I am safe, really. But sometimes..."

"Stop," Yoda commanded, "Emotional you are. Sad you are. Your emotions you must release. Come. Practice we shall, and tell me of your family you will."

As Harry slowly started to talk about his family, Yoda gently poked at him with his stick. Most of the time, Yoda's stick would come in un-dodged, but Harry did slip around the occasional one. Yoda nodded, making all the right noises as Harry told him...well, everything.

"Died to protect you, your parents did, hmm? Told to you, this was?"

Harry nodded, "Well, it was told to me, but in the future."

"Ah! A time traveller, you are. Met me before, have you?" A gleam in Yoda's eyes as he poked slightly harder than before, only barely dodged.

Harry shook his head, "No, this is the first time I have met you. I didn't know I _could_ meet you until tonight."

Yoda nodded, "Enough, I have heard. Your practice, it is doing well. Your friend, you will bring next time."

Harry stumbled, "What do you mean? I don't have any friends?"

Yoda shook his head, "Your new friend you shall bring. Your heart of glass, you shall bring. Not tomorrow, nor the night after. A week from now, to bed you will bring it."

"Why a week from now? Why not tomorrow?" Harry asked, confused.

"Much energy, this takes. While afford it, I can. Afford it, you cannot. This reason, why your friend stopped its awakening. To protect you, was this reason."

Confused, Harry asked, "But I thought I was strong? In three years I scare away a hundred dementors!"

Yoda shook his head, and started disappearing, "While strong you will be, right now you are not. In time, understand you shall. Rest, youngling, for sleep you shall need."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Harry realized that the magical strength he was used to when he was older, just plain did not exist when he was younger. Any magic he did use, left him exhausted, and Raging Heart finally indicated that the energy he did have was incompatible. The Dursleys started feeding Harry more, not so much out of concern, but to keep the neighbours from realizing the fact that they really did not care for Harry if they could avoid it. With Harry looking gaunt, they really could not avoid it anymore.

Next movie night, they had rented the show "Back to the Future." And rather than banishing Harry to his cupboard, they instead sat him behind the table, with a bowl of soup in front of him. "Eat silently," He was admonished. He felt that they were keeping him in sight to make sure he was eating, possibly thinking that he was purposely starving himself. He did eat quietly, and cheered with the rest of the family when Marty convinced his parents to kiss at the dance.

The bit at the end, however, changed Harry's thinking around. Changes in the past, even small changes, can have a huge impact on the future.

Harry continued practicing his new skills, although at a slower pace, once Yoda admonished him about pushing himself too hard. Raging Heart would also now say a bit more, usually warning Harry when someone was about to hit him. Summer arrived, and continued unabated, and the Zoo visit that Harry remembered faintly...never happened. Instead, everyone was brought to a park, where they had a picnic

When Harry asked about why they brought him to the picnic with Dudley, it was only mentioned that it was healthier, and they could make sure Harry ate. Through careful listening, Harry found out that people were starting to talk about how a family so well off to have two men so vastly obese (Petunia called it healthy) and yet two people very thin, and one obviously being starved. This confused Harry, as he remembered being fed LESS before this.

Very little changed for Harry after that point, while he was still being fed more, and still practiced his levitation, he was also still made to do all the chores in the house and out.

A week before Harry's birthday, the letter he was expecting showed up from Hogwarts. Curious as to what his aunt and uncle would say, he brought the mail to his uncle, as ordered.

At first, Vernon started to turn purple with rage, and then he paused. Took a deep breath, and then opened the letter, grumbling, "There better be a way to contact them back." After reading through the entire letter, he slammed it down on the table with a grunt. "Couldn't be bothered to send us a ruddy owl to reply with, now could they?"

The next day, and the next, still more letters arrived, and Vernon got more and more angry, finally screaming when the letters arrived on Sunday, when there shouldn't be any mail in the first place, and then all the owls outside FLEW AWAY when he tried to get one.

Yelling, Vernon finally got everyone packed up and out of the house, declaring, "If they won't give us a way to reply, maybe they'll SEND someone if we move!" Monday night, at a hotel, Tuesday on an island in a shack...and at the stroke of midnight, Wednesday, July 31st, the pounding on the door.

Grumbling, Vernon put a stack of the opened letters on the table, "Get over here, Boy. If it's not someone to come take our reply to your school, it's bound to be someone unpleasant." Another BOOM at the door.

BOOM! At the door. And a third time, BOOM!

The door crashed to the floor, and a giant of a man stepped through. _"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh?"_

Vernon growled, "I'm warning you, if you're here for mischief, you've come to the wrong place. _I demand you leave at once, sir! You are breaking and entering!"_

"Ah shut up Dursley, yeh great prune." The giant moved to take the broom out of Vernon's hands.

'That's strange,' Harry thought, 'wasn't that supposed to be a gun?'

Vernon snatched the broom out of the path of the giant's hands, "I will not! You are here without invite, therefore you are here illegally. You will state your business and then leave, sir!"

The giant leaned back and laughed, "Is this yer house then? Mite drafty, living out on a rock in the middle of the ocean here."

Vernon growled, "We rented this place to get away from the letters that we could not reply to! This house is ours for the rest of the week, or until we leave. And you'd better have brought your own food, we've only enough for ourselves here."

The giant blinked, "Yeh couldn'a reply to the letters? Yeh don't have an owl then, I take it?"

Petunia piped up, "We don't have owls, never did. We are respectable people, and we don't keep wild animals in our house, especially without a license. And when we tried to get one of the owls you sent the letters with, they all flew away!"

"Ah see. So you'd have replied if you had the chance. And what would your reply have said?" The giant smirked, as if he knew the answer already.

Vernon growled, "We'd have replied that someone should come to talk to us! Preferably someone with medical training. The boy's been getting thinner and thinner and no matter how much food we give him he keeps getting thinner! He's dangerously thin now, and we can't afford to hospitalize him to find out what is wrong."

"Yeh'd have what? He's what? C'mere, 'arry, let me see yeh," The giant turned towards Harry.

"You will NOT! You still have yet to introduce yourself, here!" Vernon shouted at the giant.

"Ah. Eh. Excuse me. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." He held out his hand, and Harry was the first to reach up to him, whereupon Hagrid shook his whole arm.

"Good," Said Petunia, "You are someone we can trust then. Do you have a way of getting a message back to the school for a doctor? We really need to find out how to help him." Vernon relaxed and put the broom back beside the fireplace as Petunia talked, obviously calmed down by her reaction.

"Can't really send a message back, I'm supposed to take Harry here to Diagon Alley tomorrow to pick up his school supplies. I think we could stop by Saint Mungo's to get him checked out though. Don't want him being sick." Petunia frowned, and Hagrid hurriedly continued, "I was sent here to pick up Harry, is all. I don't have any way of going around that's not like you folk."

Vernon grunted, then nodded, "pull up a chair, or a couch. We can leave in the morning once the storm's over." He pulled a stack of paper out of his back pocket, "Here are the first three letters, signed, sealed, and now delivered. Harry would be happy to join you, but we need to make sure he's going to be safe there. He needs to eat five times per day…"

"Five times?" Hagrid exclaimed, "We normally only eat three times per day!"

Petunia nodded, "Yes, and since last year Harry's needed to eat five times per day, fairly large meals too, to stay even remotely healthy. It's unnatural how much he needs to eat now."

Hagrid eyed Vernon and Dudley, "Really now. What about those two?"

"Um," Harry spoke up, "I'm...actually eating more than them right now. Less in a single sitting, maybe, but more through the day."

"Yeah, we'll definitely get yeh checked out tomorrow then." Hagrid nodded, then reached into his coat, "Maybe this will give you some more today, here, I made this for yer birthday," and pulled out a box, slightly squashed. Carefully, Harry opened the box, and found a (as he remembered) large sticky chocolate cake, with 'Happy Birthday Harry' written on it in green icing. "Might have sat on it a bit, but it'll taste all right."

Harry turned back to his family, and seeing the hopeful look on Dudley's face, asked, "Do we have plates? I'd like to share."

Smiling, Petunia replied, "Of course we have plates. We are civilized people here. They might be paper, but that should do just fine."

Carefully, Harry cut the cake into sixths, and made sure everyone had a slice. He looked up at Hagrid with a huge grin, "Thank you mister Hagrid."

"Jes' call me Hagrid, everyone does." Hagrid smiled and took a bite of his cake, followed shortly by everyone else biting in. "yeh look jus' like your father, though your eyes, yeh got those from yer mum."

Petunia nodded, "Lily had mom's eyes. And Nana's eyes too. The eyes go back for generations, but only to the first born. Harry here is the first boy to get the eyes, and to be honest I was a bit jealous of them too. It always meant something in the family, and no-one ever told us what."

Hagrid grinned, "Might be somethin' to do with the way magic works," he bounced in his chair, "Me dad told me about how he thinks wizards got their power. I'm kinda trying to prove him right, with my trainin' magical animals. Da said, that every wizard line comes from two people who didn't have magic before. And both people had survived a magical attack of some kind. One mighta' been bitten by a dragon, another mighta' been poked or healed by a unicorn. While they didn't have magic of their own before, they sorta grew magic into their kid. Some 'o the centaurs are upset wit' me 'cause of my researchin', but they don't get too upset wit' me 'cause I'm trying to prove they're beings like humans, rather than creatures like dragons."

Petunia blinked, and slowly asked, "What does that mean about us normal people?" She looked at Dudley, worried.

Hagrid shook his head, "Da was of two minds on that. Muggles are wizard's past, but if we aren't careful; they'll also be our future. And his other idea, was that muggles will all become wizards some day. Either through interactin' with magic things over time, or through their kids."

Dudley asked quietly, "why are you studying stuff like that? Will you force regular people to become wizards?"

Hagrid shook his head, "No! I couldn'a do that even if I wanted to. No, what I'm doing is try'na find out why wizards are dying out. Kinda like yer' doctors looking up family history and findin' trends for illnesses and suchlike."

Petunia took a breath, paused, and then continued, "Hagrid, could...could you come back some times? Maybe your research could help us keep Harry healthy. We try to be normal, respectable people. Maybe what we need is someone who knows more about what is going on. You seem like a decent fellow, and I think..."

Hagrid started to reply, "Well I'm no mediwizard Ma'am,"

Petunia held up her hand, "I think your research, your studying into your father's ideas, I think that will help us in the long run. And maybe we could help you as well. We have access to research that has been done over a long time, by a lot of people."

Hagrid grinned, "I accept. Again, I'm no mediwizard, but I'll always be willing to give what knowledge I know, and I would love your help with what you know."

Vernon spoke up, "won't that put you in trouble with Hogwarts then? You being the keeper of the keys and grounds and all."

Hagrid shook his head, "My job keeps me out of the castle for the most part. I only usually come in for food, or if there's something I need help with. Got no classes of my own to teach, so got lots of time on my own."

Petunia spoke up, "Still, your job seems important. I think one night a week should be doable though, you coming over to our house for dinner and discussion." She finished firmly.

Hagrid nodded, "O' course. And I will bring food as well. Would ye prefer vegetables or?"

Petunia smiled, "Vegetables please. While we wouldn't mind some meat, we aren't set up as a butcher shop, so any meat would have to be cut and portioned before you bring it."

Hagrid gave another bounce in his chair, causing it to creak some in complaint, I could trade some wit' the centaurs. They wouldn't mind some new food in their diet as well I think."

Vernon held out his hand, "Deal then. We shall expect you next Saturday?"

Hagrid nodded, shaking Vernon's hand firmly, "Of course."


	2. Elsewhere and Elsewhen

Author request: Please review! I like to improve my writing, and it is always easier to do that when people come forward with what they like or do not like.

**Monopoly of life, chapter 2**

She had always been teased. Through school, because she was a 'teacher's pet' or a 'book worm' or because of her hair or her teeth.

Sometimes, her class mates would do mean things to her, like push her in the mud, so she had to go to school dirty, or spill things on her homework so she would have to do it a second, or even third time.

Today, they were slightly different in their assaults. While a feeling of 'this happened before' was making Hermione dizzy, her classmates outright nicked her homework and ran off with it. Three minutes to the start of class.

Hermione ran off after them, following them into the lavatory, just in time to see them laugh as they flushed the paper down the loo.

Crying, Hermione tried to push past the girls, who just shoved her back out into the hallway. "Go back to class, bookworm. Enjoy your new failure!"

The bell rang. Hermione dashed back to class.

The teacher hadn't arrived yet. Hermione picked up her pen, a fresh sheet of paper...chocolate milk on the paper. On the entire package of fresh paper. She dug into her rucksack...there, at the bottom; one still unopened package. She pulled it out, picked up her pen...and drew a blank.

She couldn't remember the homework. At all. She put so much time and effort into it. Her hand started writing on the paper, as she wrote out, not the homework itself, but what happened today. Being shoved to the grass after her mother drove away. Being jostled as she tried to get into her locker. Finding out that someone had switched locks with her, so she didn't know the combination. Getting to class, the weird feeling.

Her homework, typed up and ready to be presented to the teacher, swiped when she was dizzy. Running after the pilferers, to see the paper being flushed down the loo. Coming back to her desk, her rucksack drenched in chocolate milk.

"Hermione!" Someone yelled, ruler slamming down on her desk, missing her fingers by less than an inch. Hermione looked up, startled. The teacher was here! Hermione tried to say something, anything, but the words would not come. Her tears still blurred her eyes. The teacher snatched up the paper, looked at it, READ IT TO THE CLASS, and everyone laughed. Everyone. "If you have time to write such fanciful stories, Hermione, then you have time to write your paper. Where is it?"

"It's in the letter you just read out, Ms."

"SILENCE! This is nothing but a fanciful fairy tale. Detention after school."

Hermione lowered her head to the desk and cried.

After school, the teacher made her write lines on the board. "I must not write lies" over and over again. The lines weren't such a pain, she wrote all the time. But the bad grammar just hurt. Near the end, the teacher said "two more lines then wash the board and you can go."

The last two, in a fit of defiance, Hermione wrote differently. "I will not write lies" After washing the board, taking nearly ten minutes to get the board shining black, Hermione was finally permitted to leave.

"What took you so long, Hermione?" Her father got out of the office early today.

"The teacher gave me detention, because the other girls flushed my paper down the loo."

"Did you explain to her what happened?" Her father levelled the ominous gaze of parental inquiry at her.

"I did, and that's why she gave me the detention. Apparently I was lying when I wrote everything out what happened today, and she would not believe it."

Her father pulled the keys from the ignition. "Is the teacher there? How about the headmaster?"

"The doors are locked already."

"We will talk to them tomorrow."

* * *

"What is this then, Hermione being bullied?" The headmaster talked with Mr. Granger while Hermione was in class.

"Yes, very much so, and apparently they have reached a new low; destroyed her homework right before class."

The headmaster examined papers on his desk, "Did she bring this to the teacher's attention before this? Or is this the first time?"

Mr. Granger pushed his glasses more firmly onto his face, "Hermione tells us she reports it to the teacher each time, and the teacher only says she will look into it. And then this time, when Hermione wrote out the entire incident, the teacher gave her detention for it."

The headmaster tapped the back of his pen on his desk a couple times, then looked up, "Mr. Granger, it pains me to say this, but many of the teachers, while impressed with your daughter's supposed intelligence, have been reporting that she is more of a troublemaker than anything else. Claims by your daughter of bullying, when no bruising is found, and all the girls named in the altercations, have rock solid alibis. Some provided even by the teachers themselves. I'm really sorry, but it is your daughter at fault here, there is just too much evidence against her."

Mr. Granger took a deep breath, lifted his valise with him, and said, "Very well then. I will be taking my daughter from this school then. At once."

The headmaster blanched, "And the grant?"

Mr. Granger smirked, "What grant do you speak of? The one I mentioned when I brought my daughter here three months ago? The one you signed a contract for? Oh let us see." Mr. Granger popped open his valise, lifted the only sheet within into the open, and began to read.

"The promise of one million pounds goes to the underlined school for expansion of the library, to allow my daughter Hermione Jane Granger, access to the school and its resources and teaching, with the promise of superior and safe schooling."

Mr. Granger looked directly at the headmaster, "That IS what you signed, correct?"

Hesitantly, the headmaster nodded.

Mr. Granger smiled a sharks' smile, "I find you and your school in violation of the contract, and therefore it is null and void. Good day."

Without a further word, Mr Granger executed a sharp pivot, and left the sputtering headmaster's office, slamming the door in his wake.

* * *

"Why are we here, Master Yoda?" a young Twi'lek asked. Four people together, standing in what some people (usually younglings) called the "galaxy room." Tiny holographic stars, surveyed of course, of the entire galaxy moved in slow motion. The zoom pulled out, and the galaxy was seen almost like a single planet, and many other planets, also presumably galaxies, came into view.

"Here we are, because your help I may need. A youngling teaching I have been. Far too far to bring here, but contact has been made. To teach him, bodies I need, willing to share must you be. From you will he learn, and also from him will you learn. A ripple in the force, I have felt.

The three younglings, Twi'lek, Togruta, and Cathar alike, all nodded and proclaimed, "We understand."

The Cathar piped up, "Why do we need so many? With only one of him, would not two of us be unneeded?"

"The youngling will come, one friend will he bring, one friend might he bring. Three are needed, that is why. Here we are, to learn, to teach. Meditate, please, for soon begin we shall.

* * *

"I must admit, Peter, that your idea was a good one." Egon Spengler commented as he placed a fresh canister of...something...into his proton pack.

"Which idea are you talking about? The one where we did a zip-line with the ooze guns?" Peter asked, curious.

"No," Replied Egon, frowning.

"Um, the one where we used the new freeze guns to make an ice rink?"

"Definitely not."

"I'm stumped then. Which of my brilliant ideas are you referring to?"

Egon glared at Peter, "The one where we put cameras into our equipment. The one that let us film our entire episode with Gozer the Gozerian."

Peter grinned, "Oh! The one that we then turned around, added some music, and turned into a movie. Yeah that one WAS awesome. Why are you mentioning it now?"

"That episode, and the subsequent film we are still finishing taking out the bad bits on, has made us enough money to last us between major ghost incursions. It, and soon to be they, have given us enough petty cash that Ray and I can spend more time researching the ghost hot-spots that we are finding."

"Well, good luck with that one; I've got a date tonight. Don't wait up for me!" Peter called as he strode out of the building.

Egon grinned, "We never do."

"Yo, Egon! We're waiting!" Winston called from the basement.

Ray gushed, "It was so cool finding an unused railroad under the new building, I'm so glad we bought this! Do you have any idea where it goes?"

Egon pushed his glasses up as he strapped the rest of his gear in place, "As this particular piece of railroad is not listed anywhere in the city building plans, it might be something paranormal in design. Being that far underground, and still set up in a very old fashion, it is likely that the railroad might have been here before the city itself."

Winston finished checking the gears on Ecto-7. "Train's all fired up and ready to go. Was it lucky or what we found where this train connected to outside, and Ray could pick up one of these old locos for cheap." The normally pristine Winston's clothes were blacker than normal, soot covering him from head to toe.

Ray bounced into the front cab, "Of course it was lucky, and during low-ebb for paranormal activity as well. Means we can be away for a day and no-one should notice. Except for Janine."

Egon nodded, "It was very fortuitous that you found this, Ray. I am ready to go now."

Winston grinned, "Next stop, wherever this goes!" and pushed the gear, causing the train to whistle sharply, before chugging forward.

* * *

"Doc Brown, I've got these questions," Marty finally cornered Doctor Brown after school.

"What kind of questions, Marty? Questions about life, the universe, everything?"

"I've got questions about what happened, I mean, I got mom and dad back together, and now the current time is changed. Rather than Dad working for Biff, now Biff is acting like a hanger-on under dad. What's that all about?"

Doc stared at Marty, then grinned, "That, my boy, is what I like to call the McFly effect. There was this theory, that a butterfly flapping its wings can cause hurricanes in other lands. Well, when a McFly flaps his wings in time, it changes everything that happens after that. Isn't that amazing?" With a smirking grin, Doctor Emmett Brown got back in his time-train, "I'll be back later, Marty!"

* * *

"What's happening, Chrono-kun?" Nanoha was her irreverent self when she arrived on the Claudia, her best friend slash girlfriend Fate, and their new adopted daughter Vivio in tow.

"Nanoha. There was a dimensional disturbance close by when the Claudia was doing her dimensional patrols, just two days ago. The disturbance in question was a rift in the dimensional wall, similar to what happened when you fought Fate's mother some years ago."

"Mother? Did she come back?" Fate asked softly. While her voice didn't betray anything, her body stiffening told everyone in the room that she was upset.

"Nanoha mama?" Vivio asked, "Fate-mama okay?"

Chrono shook his head, "No Fate, your mother did not come back. The disturbance was only similar, not the same. The rift, actually, appeared very stable. A one meter circle, that was only open for ten seconds. Amy has more details about what happened."

Vivio gripped onto Fate as she almost sagged in relief, holding on as if she were a lifeline, although whether Fate or Vivio herself being the lifeline remained a question to be debated.

Amy spoke up, "The rift was very short lived, but we received a signal from a device through the rift. While the initial connection was under the guest account, the registered device name that was set right before the connection cut off was Raging Heart."

Nanoha gasped in shock, "Raging Heart? Is it anything like...?"

Amy shook her head, "No, the device initialization code was not like your device. The activation sequence was apparently similar, but not the same at all. Raising Heart is still a unique name, and we still think a unique device as well. Raging heart, we also think appears to be a unique device, because the information it was downloading before getting cut off seemed to be very much the initial programming setup for an intelligent device. No combat spells were downloaded, but almost thirty different detection spells were accessed."

Nanoha shook her head, "While this is all interesting, why did you contact us? The device name being similar I could see, but maybe a memo or a letter would have been fine. Your tone when you asked for me to come seemed like there was something else going on."

Amy nodded, "That's because there was. We did get a chance to get a _small_ bit of information from the portal before it closed, but it wasn't very much. What we did find, was that the rift was opened from Earth. Just...not precisely your Earth."

Fate looked up from Vivio, "I thought that there was only one of every world accessible through the dimensional sea?"

Here Chrono replied, "Not precisely. While there are some worlds that can be accessed more than once, the majority are as you say only accessible once. But that can change. If a world gains enough ability to reach into the dimensional sea, even once, then it can be accessed, even if another analogue of that world exists elsewhere in the sea."

Nanoha asked, "But why did the rift close so quickly? It was only accessing information wasn't it?"

Amy replied, "The last burst we got from the new device was an emergency shutdown code. Possibly it shut the rift itself when its user was in danger. It takes an A rank mage to even open a rift like that, and if they didn't have a cartridge system to maintain the energy, a mage with a level that small would be drained in short order."

Nanoha looked down, "But...Raising Heart requires an AA rank linker core to even register a system user. I'd think any device based off of her would need at least as much, yes?"

Chrono shook his head, "We don't know if this Raging Heart device is even built like Raising Heart. It WAS a creation-level download that was going on. It might not even have power requirements yet, for all we know."

Fate shook her head, "We are getting beside the point. Did you call us to look into this? Are we visiting Nanoha's world?"

Chrono nodded, "Yes, you are. I can't allow the Claudia to go to a potentially hostile world, but a small team could theoretically get in and out without problems. The Claudia will actually maintain location at the last known opening of the rift to see if it will re-open."

Amy spoke up, "Another thing I noticed. The Earth analogue that we got a scan of seems to be in flux. If you go there, you might not arrive in the same spot as the activation, let alone the same time. The world appears to be in a quantum field. And with most quantum fields, you can get closer in time, or closer in space, but not both. And using magic just makes the inaccuracy even worse. So any teleports will have to be done by the Claudia, or from inside."

Fate blinked, "So if we leave now, we could arrive after, or before the activation, or we could arrive when the activation happens, but no-where near it."

Amy nodded, "Precisely. I'd suggest going for location, because any device that is activated and not in standby is fairly easy to track. That is what we need, to find who would be so desperate to open a rift with that little power."

Fate took a breath, and nodded, "Fine. When do we leave?"

Chrono finally smiled, "As soon as you are ready. I don't suggest bringing your daughter,"

"Vivio going!" The little girl announced, stomping her foot.

Nanoha crouched down to get eye level with Vivio, "But Vivio, we are trying to keep you safe."

Vivio shook her head and stomped again. "Vivio going! Vivio keep Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama safe."

Fate picked up the little girl, "I agree. Vivio can keep us safe in her own way. While we won't let her fight, she can help us in other ways."

Chrono raised an eyebrow, "And how can a little girl help?"

Nanoha lowered her head, "Fate-chan. Really?"

Fate nodded, "Yes, really. We'll call Yuuno to come join us. It is best to do this as a family, of course."

Vivio grinned suddenly, "Yuuno-papa!"

Chrono took a breath, "Should I come as well? Because I am also a part of this family."

Vivio bounced, "Chrono-uncle!" She squirmed to get down out of Fate's arms.

Fate let Vivio down, and smiled, responding, "No, I think you should remain here on the Claudia. As an Admiral of the Time and Space Administration Bureau, you need to be able to be contacted. We should still be able to contact you even through the quantum field, so we can give and get updates."

Chrono closed his eyes, and then nodded, "I'll bring more crew to the Claudia. I will come down some times, not to step on your toes, but to maintain that you are a family. I will do this if I need to get something to you personally, I think. Like supply deliveries."

Nanoha nodded, "Of course Chrono-kun! That would work best. So we'll leave when Yuuno-kun arrives?"

Amy and Chrono both nodded, "That would work. Feel free to get any supplies you will need from storage."

* * *

Harry no sooner felt his head hit the pillow, when he opened his eyes to a vaguely familiar white room. The woman in front of him looked both familiar and not, and he wracked his brain to remember.

"Hello again, Harry," The woman smiled, "It has been a year. Forgotten me already?"

"Or...or...Orchid!" The woman grinned at Harry, "You said to call you Orchid. Have I died again?" Harry worried, looking around.

Orchid shook her head, "No, I am here for two reasons. One, because I am trying something new. Think of it as your year in review. The other reason we shall discuss when we are finished."

Harry nodded, "Okay, so what did I do wrong?"

Orchid frowned, "The first thing you did wrong, was asking what you did wrong. We, as I said, are trying something new. We are looking for things you did right, instead."

Harry frowned for a second, then grinned, "That will be a nice change."

Orchid nodded, "I do not doubt it will be so. The first thing you did right was believing in yourself, and training, as well as accepting training from outside sources." She gestured to the board, and Harry could see the first railroad being renamed. No longer did it say 'Reading railroad', instead it now said, 'Force Rail.' Looking in from Force Rail, he saw a bright purple set of three just inside. Yoda and Obi-wan, both easily read, and also matching with the two purple cards in Harry's hand. The third one looked indistinct, and he could barely read the word "Tano" but it might say something else, given that the lettering looked very...odd.

All four of the railroads seem to have changed their names, although only four property cards sat in Harry's hands. Raging Heart. Yoda. Obi-wan. Hagrid. Strangely, each of the property cards also looked like chocolate frog cards, giving information about each person. Harry got a giggle when he noted Yoda's species was listed as "frog". The other three railroads were named "You say YES Railroad", "Time and Space Railroad" and "McFly Effect Railroad". Properties had shown up in three of the railroads, although none currently in the McFly Effect. The only names he recognized were Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, Takomachi Nanoha, and Raging Heart. Strangely, there was also a Raising Heart in the Time and Space Railroad area, and two more names that he couldn't yet read.

"Why is it I can not see all the names?" Harry inquired, confused.

"Because you do not know their names yet, or have not met them. Conversely, you can not obtain their properties, which means their friendship, without knowing them, or at least of them."

Harry stared at his hand, "Why...do I have Obi-wan's card then? I have not met him yet."

Orchid grinned, "You shall see. Anyways, the next thing you did well was creating Raging Heart. It was a little dangerous to do so, but she is alive now. I suggest...not training with her for a while."

Harry blinked, and then nodded, "I rather do not think I can yet. She is always just analyzing everything and she does not...really want to talk yet."

Orchid nodded, "That is quite accurate. She truly does not want to talk yet. She will, when she understands more. Until then, just what you have been doing will be wonderful."

Orchid continued, "And the last thing you did well, was not putting down your family. They treated you quite badly for a while, and when they were shown the right path, they took it. Because you did not hate your family, that got you a new friend, and a real one at that. Hagrid is a very kind and gentle soul; you will be good for him. And him for you as well."

Harry nodded, "Okay, thank you for that." Harry resolved to remember these friendships that he made, the previous warning of maintenance sticking in his head, "You also mentioned something else after?"

Orchid nodded, "That is true, and I did. The last thing I wanted to bring to your attention was the memories you picked out. The first one, honestly I was surprised you picked that out of a random pile. It was from your first life, after you had basically gotten it all right, somehow. But you died. This memory is directly related to that death. Once you take it, it will show up to you like a dream. A very realistic dream, because it truly is a memory of yours. Be careful though, while it has warnings of a sort, it also will not happen again."

Orchid continued, "The second memory, which I will give you next year, was not even from this world. It was from another Harry, in a different world almost like this, but with some key differences. The third memory, the cheapest of them, I will give to you in two years. It will have important bearing then, so I will not give it to you until then."

Orchid paused, her hand on the first card, "Also, please remember. Try not to do any extraneous magic this year if you can avoid it. Next year too, but I will remind you. You will find out why tomorrow. Anyways, here is your memory, happy dreams! Or not."

Orchid then placed the card against Harry's forehead.

**Fade to black.**

Harry stormed into Minister Shacklebolt's office, slamming a letter down on the desk, "What in Merlin's name is this, Kingsley?" Harry fumed. Luna and Hermione stormed in after him at a slightly slower pace, but no less angry.

"Whatever do you mean, my boy?" Kingsley Shacklebolt glanced at the letter on the desk, and then returned his gaze to Harry's face.

"Let me spell it out for you." Harry picked up the parchment, and then started reading, "To whom it may concern. It has hereby been declared that due to so many families being wiped out, that pureblood families will be infused with first blood witches or wizards to keep our lifestyle from dying out. If this affects you, your information will be disclosed below."

Harry continued in a snarl, "To Harry Potter,

Congratulations! You have been selected to participate in the pureblood revival act! Due to your well known status as a 'wizard's wizard' you will be hereby transformed into a female and wed to one Ronald Weasley to help bring health and happiness to our pure wizarding traditions."

Again Harry slammed the paper down on the desk, "Why would I be selected for this travesty? I am a half blood, not a first blood. I am happily wed to two beautiful witches, and we are expecting children. How, in any way, can I be a so called 'wizard's wizard' if I impregnated these two witches?"

Kingsley shook his head, and used his quill to push away the offending piece of paper, "It is a well-known fact that all through school you preferred to sleep with the boys rather than the girls. In fact, no girl ever came forward to say they slept with you."

Harry groaned, "We were in segregated dorms, girls on one side, boys on the other. And boys were not allowed to visit the girls at ALL."

Kingsley shook his head, and continued, "While girls could visit the boys at any time they chose. It is also well known that you have been seen, in public, flirting with both Ronald Weasley, and Draco Malfoy."

Hermione shrieked, "FLIRTING? They were fighting! Ronald only a couple times, but still!"

Kingsley smirked, "For wizards, fighting and flirting are one and the same. Did not you have a few spectacular fights with Ronald Weasley yourself?"

Harry blanched, "Anything else?"

Kingsley nodded, "And, most importantly, Ronald Weasley himself came to us and informed us that you had slept in his bed all through the time of the war, when you were in hiding. And he, himself, put forward his own name as your husband to be, given that he stated that he was the one who impregnated your supposed wives."

Luna and Hermione blanched as Harry's voice went whisper quiet. "You know what? I saved your pathetic world for nothing. Nothing really changed, only the fighting stopped. How were you planning on transforming me into a female? Mundane doctors can not do that. Would it be a potion? A charm? Something I had to wear?"

Kingsley smirked, as he noticed Ron stepping into the room, "Why, the change is already under way. It was a curse, woven into the paper that you handled. It does nothing to females, but males become transformed into female. It merely takes a bit of time, not as if you will notice much of a difference."

Harry looked up, his eyes blazing electric green. His eyes flashed over to Ron, then back. "You know, this was fun, betrayal by my closest friend and lies spread again by my closest friend. Guess what the encore will be?"

Kingsley smirked, "The encore will be, you will be his wife."

Harry laughed quietly, "No, the encore will be; everyone dies."

The world faded to black as Harry's fury exploded, taking himself and everyone in the office with it.

Harry, dreaming, saw a crater where the ministry of magic used to be.

Then he woke up.

* * *

Author's notes:

Explanations: In Britain, I'm trying to have a very British way of speaking. In America, everything is of course American, even though I'm not.

As for the Japanese section: Some titles just DO NOT translate properly, and while I could attempt to English-ise them, they just don't sound proper. They are speaking Japanese, and words that don't translate properly, will be used as original. For the most part, everything can be used contextually without using Japanese words and terms, but titles, especially used by certain people, just need to be used the way that person uses them.


	3. Diagon Alley fun

Author notes: Updated the story rating due to upcoming story content, because while this is a parody, it is more a parody of all other stories which mix these particular worlds.

Also: the next chapter is completly written, but I'm not posting it yet so I can get some time to get a bit of a buffer going. The entire chapter, by the way, was written in five hours. The next chapter is ALSO going to be very hard to read, not so much for the content, but for the language.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Monopoly of life, chapter 3

Hagrid was starting to pack up his coat, moving very quietly for such a large man, when Petunia crept downstairs. "The boys 're still asleep then?" Hagrid asked quietly.

Petunia nodded, "Yes they are. I wanted to tell you something. We were not...very wonderful people to Harry. Not for a long time." Hagrid paused, listening silently, "We treated him very harshly, and I am sorry about that. Vernon is too, to a point."

Hagrid nodded, "What changed yer mind?"

Petunia took a deep breath, and then continued, "Our neighbours. They said it was a good thing that we were starving the menace. It took me a minute to realize that they were talking about Harry. He...he was always a quiet boy. We took our problems out on him. But we never wanted him to die."

Petunia looked up at Hagrid with pleading eyes, "We never meant for him to actually come close to dying. Once I saw him with fresh eyes...all I could see was what was left of my sister. I just could not permit him to starve. I discussed the matter with Vernon, and pointed out that I had overheard the neighbours talk about how Harry was too thin and that they had begun to talk about how bad we were."

Petunia wrung her hands, "It took a week, and then Vernon saw Harry himself. Overly thin, and getting thinner. Even Dudley stopped his games when he saw how fragile Harry was getting. We started to feed him, give him more, but he always stayed thin. We then became concerned about his health. We brought him to several Physician's Surgeries and consulted with them about this. They all informed us that he lacks sufficient nutrients in his diet, but we cannot fathom what exactly it is that he is missing."

Petunia closed her eyes, "I did hate him. He was a reminder of my sister. My only sister. He has her eyes, you see. Those brilliant green eyes. Only the first born in the family ever got them, and those eyes were proof that he was hers. He..." Petunia suddenly stopped as heavy footsteps started coming down the stairs.

Hagrid nodded, "Well then, I'll definitely be takin' him to St. Mungo's to get a check up. You mind comin' along?"

Petunia shook her head, "No, Vernon and I will finish our vacation here, and then we shall go back to the house. You should bring Harry back here after everything is done, though. Also, I need to make sure you know his meal times. We will be feeding everyone breakfast presently; , in two hours it is time for brunch. At eleven, he is to have elevenses, which should be a smaller meal, and then lunch at one. Tea time is at four, dinner is at six sharp and should you have to keep him out longer, late night snack is no later than nine pm."

Hagrid coughed, "That's seven meals a day! I thought you said five before?"

Petunia grinned wryly, "Well, two of them are glorified snacks, and five IS only to keep him remotely healthy. We are trying to do better than that and see him stoutly healthy, so of course that means more food."

Petunia stepped into the kitchen, "Bangers and mash are on for this morning, would you like any, Mister Hagrid?"

Hagrid grinned, "That would be brilliant, thank ye." Hagrid stepped out of the way as Vernon came downstairs. "Where should I sit?"

Vernon grunted, "As our guest it would hardly be proper but to have you anywhere but at the dining room table with the family."

Hagrid nodded, "Sounds wonderful."

Some time later, Harry and Hagrid were on the water in the old boat that came with the house, "Where are we going, Mister Hagrid?" Harry asked.

Hagrid grinned, "Well, first we be goin' to Diagon Alley to visit the bank, then t'a get yer school supplies, and from there we'll be goin' to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magickal Maladies, to get ye checked out, like yer Aunt asked. After that, maybe some quick food, then we'll come back here."

Harry nodded, "We could have borrowed the motor boat. Would that not be lots faster?"

Hagrid coughed sheepishly, "Well, ye see, I don' understand them muggle devices quite yet. I'd rather not break things if I can avoid it. So we'll take the tried and true method, and, well, this." He winked, "don't tell nobody, but I'm not supposed to use magic but to find ye, so..."

Hagrid placed the end of his umbrella in the water, and shook it around a bit. Suddenly the boat was going much faster than before, but not unseemingly so.

As they were nearing shore, Hagrid asked Harry, "Does your hair normally change colours like that?"

Startled, Harry pulled his hair down in front of his eyes to see. Instead of his normal black hair, it was a vibrant red instead. "N...no," Harry responded shakily, "Normally it is other people's hair going weird, and only when I am upset. This...this is new."

Hagrid frowned, "I see. Ye think we should let people know who ye are, or...?"

Harry shook his head, "I would rather be inconspicuous, to be honest. Aunt Petunia said that I might be famous, but I am uncertain if I really believe her."

Hagrid snorted, "Famous? I think there's maybe one or two people more famous than you right now. Maybe. In the history books. Yer the first person to ever survive the killin' curse. Everyone calls ye 'The Boy Who Lived'." Harry could hear the quotes in Hagrid's voice, and grinned.

"Well, what if I pretend to be a girl? No-one would know me then right?"

Hagrid raised an eyebrow, "I dun know about that. Maybe. We should get ye some clothes once we go through the alley, of course. I don't rightly think ye'd look good in girl's clothes though. We should just not say and let people think what they think."

Harry combed his newly candy-apple red hair over his scar, "Well, maybe this will help anyways." He looked at the docks, "Maybe we should slow down, and row the rest of the way. We cannot be too suspicious, right?"

Hagrid nodded, then shook his umbrella. "Right ye are. Well, scoot over a bit, and I'll start rowin'."

Harry was starting to feel the pangs of hunger when Hagrid pulled him into the Leaky Cauldron, "Hagrid, it is nine thirty, could we get some brunch please?"

Hagrid looked startled, "Of course, let me get us a table, and Tom can bring us some food." Harry nodded and slipped into a table in the corner of the bar, his back to the wall and facing the rest of the room.

The pub was very quiet this early in the morning, only three people eating at widely separated tables. One of the people looked rather startling in his lime green robes, rather than the black that everyone else wore. Shortly, Hagrid arrived at the table, setting a large tray of food down. "I asked Tom to get me somethin' light for ye, but apparently he thought it was all fer me. Don't ye worry none, I'll finish what ye can't."

Surprising even himself, Harry finished the full English Breakfast put in front of him. The kippers alone seemed very filling. Hagrid finished his food shortly after, and then stood up, "We should go. The bank will be open shortly, and we shouldn't keep goblins waitin'. That's something that History of Magic should teach people, but never does. Off we go then."

Harry nodded and waved to Tom as he followed Hagrid into the alley, grinning as Hagrid pressed the bricks necessary to open the enchanted gateway. Being barely ten in the morning, the alley was filled with people, but not a terribly large number. Harry was surprised, really, being more used to London's crowded streets.

Harry followed Hagrid into the bank, barely even glancing over the well polished warning out front. The bank was also strangely quiet. "Why is it so quiet? Shouldn't there be more people?" Harry inquired, looking around.

A nearby guard-goblin snorted, "It is very early in the morning. Most wizards are not even out of bed before noon. When you have magic, apparently it makes you lazy. Not us though." The goblin sneered, then resumed his standing at rigid attention.

Harry and Hagrid went up to one of the teller-goblins, "Two bits of business today," Hagrid announced carefully, "One for Harry here, and another one for Mister Dumbledore, picking up you know what from vault seven hundred thirteen."

The goblin sneered, "Keys please." Hagrid nodded, then handed over two keys. one old and worn, one small and bright. The goblin peered at the keys, then nodded, "I shall take you down presently. We are rather quiet now so I will not be needed for a bit yet."

Harry quietly asked, "Can we please do Mister Hagrid's business first? I would like to speak with you while he is busy." The goblin started, looked around, and then nodded. She then proceeded to lead Harry and Hagrid over to a row of mining carts.

As the three climbed into the cart, Harry asked, "Is there something I can call you? I would rather be polite, and I am afraid that I know neither your name nor title."

The goblin looked back, pushed a lever, then quietly said, "The name's Mistress Bloodletter. You won't see me many days, this is the only day of the year they let me up at the tills. They say it is too dangerous with ruddy wizards laying about."

Harry could not reply just then, as the cart was suddenly going to fast for anything but yelling. A grin formed on Harry's face as he rode on the first roller coaster of his life. A matching grin crept onto Mistress Bloodletter's face. Soon enough, the cart screeched to a halt, and the goblin jumped up to the vault doors, using first the key, and then her hand to open the massive stone door.

As Hagrid stepped into the room, Harry, whispered to the goblin, "Just so you know, I heard a couple things. You might want to warn people away from this vault today, and someone told me in confidence that keys can be copied. I don't know who, or when, but you might want to let the management know."

Surreptitiously, the goblin nodded, then waved Harry back to the cart. Hagrid stepped out of the vault, pocketing a package covered in a greasy cloth. "Right then, off to Harry's vault please?" The goblin looked at Hagrid, then nodded.

Another trip, and shortly after they were at Harry's vault. After opening the door, Harry found a medium pile of gold, silver and bronze. Harry scooped almost all of it into a bag provided by the goblin Bloodletter, leaving only a single bronze coin in the center of the vault. "Why'd ye take so much?" Hagrid inquired, confused.

Harry shuffled around, "I don't rightly know. Something tells me to keep everything on me for now, and I tend to listen to those little feelings. They have yet to steer me wrong."

Both Hagrid and Mistress Bloodletter stared at Harry for a second, then turned to each other. A quick shuffling of hands, pointing back and forth happened, then Bloodletter spoke up, "Please refrain from telling anyone about those voices. They can dump you in a lot of trouble, and many people will do their best to take advantage of you. It is one of the reasons goblin women are kept out of sight for the most part."

Hagrid nodded, then mimed zipping his mouth shut, "I'lljust see about forgettin' that then. Shall we 'ead out?"

As the three left the cart holding area, up at ground level again, Harry caught sight of a semi-familiar head of bushy brown hair. Harry pulled on Hagrid's hand, "Can we talk to them please? I feel..." Hagrid quickly tapped Harry's mouth, then nodded. As they drew closer, both could hear the male adult almost arguing with a goblin.

After listening for a minute, Harry grinned, realizing that they were not arguing, but rather bartering instead. Mostly numbers flashed back and forth, and Harry piped up just before the two shook, "How much to buy some British Pounds, good Sir?"

The goblin looked at Harry, then grinned toothily, "five pounds per galleon that would be."

The man suddenly pulled back his hand, "And you were going to charge me a hundred pounds per galleon. Maybe I should buy from the boy then, he might just give me a much better deal."

The goblin snarled, then nodded, "Well, muggles are paying the material cost of the galleons, normally. At one ounce of pure gold, it is worth about two hundred twenty nine pounds. We give wizards much less than that, because they do not know the value involved. It is not you we are fleecing, but them."

Hagrid grinned, then commented, "That's why ye don't keep goblin's waitin'. They have long memories, and know value much better 'n' wizards do. The world would collapse if they were itchin' to do so. They love a good fight though, and barterin's nothin' but a fight with words." The goblin teller grinned toothily, nodding.

Harry giggled quietly, then offered his hand, "I am just a stupid wizard sir, could I buy some pounds at fifty per galleon?"

The man smirked, then kneeled down, "Well then, I need fifty galleons for which to be buying my daughter some school supplies. Here is two thousand five hundred pounds. Can I see your merchandise good sir?" Harry grinned, then counted out fifty of the golden coins from his bag.

"You're helping me a lot, actually. This is rather heavy and I'd like to know a good place to go shopping for normal people's clothes, perhaps?"

The goblin guffawed, then waved the group away, "Wizards will be showing up soon, might want to finish up where it won't be quite so crowded."

Mistress Bloodletter waved to the departing people, wizards and normals alike, then hurried off to the back room.

Hagrid led Harry and the other group over to a store just down the street from the bank. "This 'ere's Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour. He makes the best ice cream this side of the channel."

The man nodded, "Well, we are dentists, so we might look to see if he has anything without sugar. Do you have any suggestions?"

Hagrid grinned, "He has this chocolate raspberry ice cream that is absolutely brilliant. I was planning to get some for my friend here. By the way, my name is Hagrid. Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of the keys and groundskeeper at Hogwarts."

The man nodded and held out his hand, "Mr and Mrs Granger. This is our daughter, Hermione," The bushy haired girl nodded, and waved, "As I said, we are here for school supplies for our daughter. Perhaps you could show us around?"

Hagrid nodded, "Aye, we could do that fer sure. First place we should go after snacks is Ollivander's. He makes the best wands in the world 'e does. After that we should get robes, potions supplies, and books. I'm plannin' on gettin' 'arry here a birthday present, and after that, I need to take 'im to St. Mungo's."

Mr. Granger tilted his head, "What is this St. Mungo's place?"

Harry blushed as Hagrid replied, "It's a hospital for magical maladies and injuries. We're goin' to get this one checked out, just to make sure 'e's all right and stuff."

Mrs Granger asked hesitantly, "Would Hermione need to be checked out? Do they have anything different from normal Doctors?"

Hagrid shook his head, "Nah. If yer doctors didn't have problems finding problems with little Hermione here, then there's no need for the magical hospital. It's only when normal doctors can't find anything, or if she gets sick in the magical world that she needs to go to St. Mungo's."

Mr Granger nodded, "We understand. Well, Hermione's always been a healthy girl, I guess there is no need for any extra checkups for her. Shall we proceed and procure our selections from Mr. Fortescu's establishment?"

After getting their ice creams, and after Harry finished his in short order, Hagrid brought everyone over to Ollivander's.

_A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic._

_"Good morning," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair._

_An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop._

"Hello," said Harry, wincing as Hermione squeaked in surprise.

"Ah yes, I was expecting you, Mister Potter. Oh, and who's this? A friend of yours? also going to Hogwarts?"

Mr Granger spoke up, "Hermione Granger. She's our daughter." Hermione nodded nervously.

Ollivander grinned, "Ah! A firstblood! How simply marvelous! I would love to help you. Do you mind, Mister Potter, I think I should help her first. Ladies first and all."

Harry nodded, "Absolutely. By the way, what does it mean to be a first blood?"

Ollivander grinned as he started measuring Hermione, "Well, a first blood is simply that. A person born of two non-magical parents. But it's oh so much more than that. You see, there is a theory that either the parents themselves, or further up the family tree, someone survived an attack from a magical creature of some kind."

Hagrid piped up, "Me father was studying that! he also said that there's another type, a new blood, that is even rarer than first bloods."

Ollivander grinned, "A man after my own heart he was. He is the one who started the study, and I hear you are continuing it. Anyways, next up the line is half blood, wherein at least one grandparent, and no more than three are magical. Pure blood is where all four grandparents are magical, as well as both parents."

Mrs Granger spoke up, "Wouldn't that be a problem, though? Once you reach pureblood status, if you want your children to remain so, then the pool of possible suitors is drastically reduced."

Ollivander nodded, "Brilliant deduction. There is actually a bit of controversy about that, some people say that the purebloods are dying out due to the reduced amount of purebloods, and each generation there is less. If we fail to bring new blood into the pool, then our way of life will eventually die off."

Hermione squeaked as she noticed Ollivander coming back with a box, while the measuring tape was measuring the bridge of her nose, "oh stop that," the measuring tape fell, "Here, try this one. Rowan, with unicorn tail fur, eleven inches, whippy."

Hermione grasped the wand, and at Ollivander's motioning, wove it a bit. Suddenly Ollivander took the wand away, "No good, no good. Ooh, this one, Holly, with a dragon whisker core, thirteen inches, good for healing." Another wand landed in Hermione's hands.

Again, Hermione waved the wand, only to have it pulled away, "Close that one. How about this, Holly, unicorn hair, ten inches, a mediwitch's wand." When Hermione waved this one, the end of the wand exploded, "No, definitely not. How about this one, Vine, dragon heartstring, ten and three quarters inches, good for charms."

Hermione waved this wand, and a flock of birds burst from the end, "Oh marvelous, best reaction I have had all year. Six galleons for that, please?" Mr Granger nodded and handed over the coins. "Fabulous. Your turn, Mister Potter."

Harry held out his right arm to be measured, and Ollivander scurried off, grabbing a few wands. _"Here, try this one, Beechwood and dragon heartstring, nine inches, nice and flexible. Go ahead, give it a wave."_

As Harry waved the wand, he heard a ringing, 'Analyzing, ten percent' just as Ollivander took the wand away, handing him another,_ "Maple and phoenix feather, seven inches, quite whippy, try -"_

Harry tried, but be barely raised the wand, when, during the ringing. 'analyzing, fifteen percent,' and that wand was too snatched away by Mr Ollivander. _"No, no, here, Ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. go ahead, try it,"_

Harry tried, and tried, the analysis from Raging Heart ranging from twenty percent (holly, dragon heart string) to negative ten percent (driftwood, unicron hair) He had very little idea what Mr Ollivander was waiting for, and having an audience watching him fail over and over was starting to make him blush uncontrollably.

Mr. Ollivander seemed to be getting more and more happy as the testing went on, _"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."_

Harry brightened as he picked up the wand, even as Raging Heart rang, 'Analyzing, eighty percent compatibility.' He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

Hagrid and Hermione both cheered, with Mr and Mrs Granger clapping politely. _Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious... " He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious.."_

Hermione asked, "Why is it curious, sir?"

Harry shook his head at Mr Ollivander. Mr Ollivander raised an eyebrow, then replied, "The phoenix that gave a feather for this wand, gave only one other. The other wand was purchased years ago, and the owner did great things with it. Maybe Mr Potter will also do great things as well."

Harry bounced, "Thank you sir, how much do I owe you?"

Mr Ollivander smiled indulgently, and replied, "Seven Galleons for your wand." Harry nodded, handed over the money, and escaped the building, Hagrid in tow, and the Grangers following sedately behind.

Harry asked Hagrid, "Off for our robes now? Or is it close to elevenses?"

Hermione giggled, "Elevenses? Are you a hobbit now?"

Harry grimaced, "I might as well be, have to eat too many times in a day. That is why we will be going to the hospital after all."

In between eating his elevenses snack, and everyone stopping for lunch, Harry and the Grangers successfully commandeered all of the required scholastic supplies, although Hermione pouted most furiously when Harry received a beautiful snowy owl as a birthday gift, yet her parents refused to let her get a cat.

Harry tried, in vain, to keep from laughing when Hermione tried to buy out the bookstore, although Hermione got her revenge laughter when Harry's book count rivalled hers, albeit with different topics. "The How and Why of Ghosts" versus "Hogwarts, a History" and "Enchanting Guide of Enchanting" versus "Modern Wizards of Fame".

Everyone paid for their books, and Harry received directions to a local clothing store (Marks and Spencer) so he could get a new wardrobe that fit. Then they parted company, the Grangers heading back to the Leaky Cauldron, and Harry pulling Hagrid back to the bank.

"Why are we goin' back here?" Hagrid asked, confused.

Harry whispered, "I want to see if there is anything from my parents for me. I thought of it when Hermione picked up that famous wizards book. Maybe I could get something from them, even if it is a trunk or something."

Harry pulled Hagrid up to a teller, noting that Mistress Bloodletter was nowhere to be seen. "Excuse me, sir?" he asked softly, when the goblin snarled for the next customer, "but could you please tell me if I inherited anything from my parents?" They died when I was little, you see..."

The goblin smirked, "No, sorry, you should have come before your eleventh. New ministry rules state that you need to claim your inheritance before your Hogwarts letter arrives, else it can be sold away."

Harry felt like he was kicked in the stomach, "Right then, I have only my trust vault. Did...anyone leave gifts for me?"

The goblin looked around, then said quietly, "Well, the ministry extended that rule for gifts as well, but by magic you have a year and a day to claim it. If you know anything, even a name, of something that was given, you might be able to reclaim some of it."

Harry grimaced, "This is the first I've heard of ANY of this. Really. The only name _I_ know of is...Dobby."

With a crack, a worn-out looking house elf arrived, grumbling, "What bad Master want now?" his arms were covered in bandages, and another set of bandages covered his left eye. He looked around, confused, when his eye landed on Harry.

Harry gasped, reaching for his chest. A wrenching feeling, deep in his chest, even as a Raging Heart sang out 'Warning!' in her bell-like tone. Harry fell to his knees as the pressure kept rising.

Dobby quickly ran forward, catching Harry, "Dobby here, Master. What wrong? Why Master sick?" Hagrid also reached forward, helping support Harry's weight, even as Dobby started crying, "No no no no no." He scrabbled at Harry's clothing, "Clothes clothes, need save Master, clothes clothes,"

The goblin teller winced as he watched the panicking elf. He took off his glove, showing a scarred hand beneath, and then placed it in Harry's clutching hand. "I give this to you, of my own free will, so that you might have a way to release your elf." He intoned formally.

Gasping, Harry held out the glove, which Dobby quickly accepted, and then placed on his hand, "I'm sorry, Dobby, I didn't know..."

Dobby shook his head, "Dobby know Master Harry not know. Dobby given to Master for tenth birthday, but Master no accept. Dobby not know that Master not know. Maybe was safer that way. Dobby sorry, did not mean to hurt Master. Dobby sorry, please forgive?"

Harry hugged Dobby to himself, "I forgive you Dobby. What happened anyways? When you showed up it just started hurting..."

Dobby carefully hugged Harry back, "Dobby came when bond pulled. Thought was bad Master, so used link magic to come. When Dobby saw you, saw magic so low low, needed to release link to keep you alive. Dobby sorry. How Master Harry know Dobby name? Dobby know now was gift bond pulling Dobby, but Harry not know Dobby name Dobby thinks?

Harry smiled sadly, "I remembered it from a dream, I think. Were you given to me, or sent to me? I've only just heard today that I had gifts given, and.."

Dobby nodded excitedly, "Dobby asked Missy Bones to be given to Master Harry. Dobby wanted to thank Master Harry for keeping world safe, but couldn't give anything, so...Dobby give self. Dobby knows about missing gifts. Bad Master has some. Master Harry wants? Dobby can't get gold back, but some of thing things can be brought."

Harry nodded, "Could you, please? I do not have much of my own, just my school supplies," Harry twitched, "Hagrid and I are going to St. Mungo's, if you could meet us there, please?"

Dobby nodded, "Dobby do!" and disappeared.

Harry carefully stood up, leaning heavily on Hagrid's hand, then turned to the goblin. "Thank you, good sir, for helping save my life. How may I repay you?"

The goblin's sneer slowly fell off his face. He looked around at the guards that had mysteriously (to Harry) surrounded the group. He then looked straight at Harry and replied, "The debt should be mine to you, as without my mentioning certain things, your life would not have been endangered. How may I repay you, instead?"

Harry blinked, surprised, and jumped a bit when Hagrid whispered (well, at Hagrid's whispering volume at least) "I suggest buying the gloves off 'a 'im and saying you're even. It settles debt, and leaves no hard feelin's"

Harry nodded, and carefully held his hand out to the goblin teller, "As it was your glove that facilitated the saving, it would be greatly appreciated if I could purchase the glove, and possibly its twin from you as well. I think debt would be settled with that transaction." Harry spoke as clearly as possible, although not overly loud.

The goblin grinned toothily, "The pair cost me twelve sickles, I think, given normal markup, that three galleons would be fair. Especially as the story they could tell now, yes?"

Harry laughed, and counted out six of the golden coins, "Deal, and a bargain at twice the price. May you live long, and grind your opponents beneath your feet."

The goblin peeled off the second glove, presenting it ceremoniously to Harry and replied, "May your enemies ever weep in your wake."

* * *

Hagrid bustled Harry into the front lobby of St. Mungo's, almost carrying the small boy in his urgency. "Excuse us," he inquired as politely as he could manage, "Could ye please point us to the spell damage area?"

The Welcome Witch looked up from the crowd of witches and wizards around her, and growled, "Wait your turn you bloody oaf,"

Harry tugged Hagrid towards the chairs along the entrance wall, "Right, Hagrid. There are some seats over here. Can we take a seat? It's not that bad. I have lived with it for a year now, a few more minutes will not hurt me any."

Several minutes later, (Hagrid SWORE it was five hours) the welcome witch finally got through the gaggle, and turned to Harry, "So, young lady, what seems to be the problem?"

Harry covered his eyes, and replied, "Erm, young man if you please, and I've apparently got a problem with being too thin. I eat five large meals per day, and I am getting thinner and thinner, and normal doctors are saying I am missing something from my diet."

The welcome witch snorted, "Well, you should not be on a diet, deary, those things make you sick, even if they do sometimes help you get thinner."

Harry groaned, "I eat too much, and I cannot gain weight. Plus, when I summoned a house elf earlier I collapsed and it hurt to breathe."

Hagrid nodded, "Yeah that 'e did. I had to carry 'im here, and he's lost more weight since this mornin'."

The witch blinked, then shook her head, "Spell damage, fourth floor. While it does not fit perfectly, it is at least some place to start. Off you go."

Harry and Hagrid arrived on the fourth floor, where a stern Matron stopped them, "Visiting, or here to get helped?" She eyed both Harry and Hagrid, her eyes lingering over Hagrid's overly large form.

Hagrid bowed, "We're 'ere to get Harry here checked out. He collapsed earlier today when 'e summoned an elf, and 'e's losing weight no matter how much we feed 'im."

The witch nodded, "Right then. Let's get you a bed to lay in. Your normal clothes will be fine, none of that muggle nonsense of wearing thin smocks that don't cover even the most important bits."

Harry chuckled, "Well, those smocks are there because regular clothing interferes with their diagnostics. Metal gets in the way of seeing the bones and muscles, and the less in the way the more you can see." even as he climbed into the bed, his arms shaking.

The witch nodded, "Yes yes, other muggleborns tell me the same, but until I see it myself I will keep my own council. Lay down, head straight, legs straight, arms to your side. Chop chop."

The witch pulled out her wand from her voluminous sleeves, "Right, because we are in spell damage, I will start with checking you for adverse spells. Do not be afraid, this is perfectly safe." She waved her wand over Harry, muttering softly under her breath. Her face twitched as she waved the wand again.

The witch shook her head, "I feel that I must apologize, I assumed you were female and Hagrid here was just making a mistake. Tell me, did you get an owl from Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded, as Hagrid replied, "That 'e did. We picked up 'is supplies earlier, here's 'arry's wand." Hagrid delicately pulled the wand out of the bags he was carrying.

Harry gently took the wand, and waved it a little, producing dancing sparks at the end, "Yes, I'm going to Hogwarts. It took a while to find my wand, most of them were acting strangely for me."

The witch grimaced, "I am entirely unsurprised. What core does it have? Basilisk skin? Phoenix feather?"

Harry blinked, "It has a phoenix feather, Ma'am. Why, is that a problem?"

The witch nodded, then shook her head, "Yes, and no. Phoenix's are notoriously temperamental, and ignore time with the best of lazy bums all over. The point my dear, is that you have a problem. A rather large problem at that."

Hagrid paled, "What kind of problem? what can we do to fix it?"

The witch shook her head, "It is not something that can be fixed, per se. While most witches and wizards have a magical core, you have, instead, two cores. Of a sort. One we call the squibbing core, anyone who has one tends to not be able to use common wizarding magic. At all." Hagrid blanched at that, "And the other, medi witches call a paradox core. It is like a Wizarding core, but it doesn't exist yet."

The witch paced a little, "This most often occurs in new blood wizards, when a phoenix or a basilisk was directly related to their...magical birth, shall we call it. A few years before they are attacked, they have a paradox core, and it gets smaller and smaller until the attack itself, and then re-grows quite rapidly into a normal magical core."

The witch pointed at Harry, "But until then, any magic the wizard or witch has is entirely environmental. Magical food fills you. Being near high magic areas also fills you up. Someone else could directly give you magic from their own core to help you."

The witch took a deep breath, and then cast a few spells at the bed. Suddenly all Harry could hear was the witch herself. Even the ambient noise from a moaning person down the hall disappeared completely.

The witch sat on the bed with Harry, and whispered, "I need to tell you the rest privately. Hagrid, the dear, has a heart of gold, but his mouth is like a broken sieve. Any thought that enters his head will escape his lips at the worst possible time. And he can not hear about this. Not from anyone."

She stared directly into Harry's eyes, "I did find a spell on you. A ministry approved curse. I will check on it before I let you leave, and I hope I don't find anything about it, but the curse is a bad one. It has been used to trap people in marriages, always in the wrong body. Not only is there no cure for it, but I cannot even give you a way to slow it down."

Harry lowered his head, and nodded, "I know. I dreamt about it last night."

The witch reached out, and lifted Harry's head, "In your dream, was it done properly, or were you tricked into the marriage?" Harry winced, "Tricked then. While legally, we are not allowed to do anything to help you, I can give you a book before you leave." Harry nodded. "Very well. I shall lift these spells and we will continue."

As the silence lifted, Hagrid spoke up, "What was that all about then? Is there something worse going on?"

Harry shook his head, "No, just something she wanted to let me know from earlier. It is rather private, and I'd rather not say besides."

The mediwitch nodded, "Precisely. Now, because you are running low...dangerously low...on regular magic, we can give you a magical infusion, and then point out some good magic-rich foods you can eat to get your reserves back up."

Just before the witch could start talking again, Dobby appeared suddenly, with a trunk in tow, "Dobby back, Master!" Harry winced, and clutched his chest again, to which Dobby winced and whispered, "Sorry, Dobby sorry! Forgot to not pull from Master right now, sorry!"

The witch grimaced, "And now we are at suicidally low. Let me get closer please, " She gently placed the tip of her wand at Harry's forehead, and muttered "enervate."

A quick rush of energy flooded Harry's head, and spread throughout his body. He gasped in relief as the pain faded, "That helped a lot, thank you."

The mediwitch nodded, "Now, back to the awe inspiring problems of your magical cores. The reason that we call the first core a squibbing core, is because it interferes with normal wizard wand use. It gets in the way between the magical core, if any, and the wand. Yours is acting peculiar, however, and not going anywhere near your wand hand, which is really surprising."

Harry nodded, "I have no idea what any of that means."

The mediwitch snorted, "Of course not." Regardless, squibbing cores tend to eat magic, at a similar speed to how magic cores produce said magic. You will need to eat a lot of magic heavy foods, especially if your squibbing core eats too fast."

Harry nodded, "Of course."

Hagrid blurted, "But, 'arry can't be a squib! He's got a wand and everything! it even works!"

The mediwitch nodded, "Of course it works. Harry's wand is actually pulling not from his regular magic, of which he's got very little, just how strong ARE you anyways? Nevermind. But his wand is instead pulling from his paradox core, which will not hurt his eventual growing of a magical core, but can cause it to grow more slowly once it finally starts growing."

Dobby bounced, "Dobby know dobby know! Master harry strong enough to be happy."

Hagrid shook his head, "Now Dobby, you know better. Most people either have too much magic power or too little, no-one is ever happy with their amount. The most anyone has ever been was content."

The mediwitch nodded, "That is very true. Most people, especially when they compare themselves to others, are unhappy with how much magic they have. Either they lack enough to keep up with their friends, or they have too much to do intricately detailed work. No-one is ever truly happy with that."

Dobby nodded, "Dobby know. But Dobby think Master Harry be happy. What foods Dobby get? Master Harry need foods for magics for healthy and happy and..."

The mediwitch held up her hand, "Calm down please. Now, I noticed that you used some of Harry's magic when teleporting here. He did not have enough to power a full apparation, so how did you get here?"

Dobby shuffled his feet, "Dobby freed to keep Master Harry safe. But Master still Master, Dobby can wait until Master is healthy and not sick from Dobby being proper house elf."

The mediwitch nodded, and frowned, "I think you should stop telling me things about Harry here. You three can sit and talk together, while I go check some information. I shall be back with some literature for you," she said, pointing to Harry, "so do not move. I will be back."

Harry and Hagrid both nodded. Dobby nodded so excitedly that his ears flapped like wings.

Hagrid took a breath, then asked, "Is there anything the mediwitch said that I need to know? For keepin' ye safe like?"

Harry shook his head, "No, it was just something to do with my magic being flakey. Basically admonishing me to not use magic too much. And, apparently, to not fight in the halls. I hear that there are a lot of pranks going on, is that right, Hagrid?"

Hagrid's mouth twitched, trying to frown, but a grin pulling at one side of his mouth, "Aye, lots of pranks. Some of the other redheads ye'll meet caused a huge ruckus last year. Pranked the entire school, an' got so much detention that they'll have a week's worth before the year starts."

Harry grinned, "Really? What kind of prank did they pull?"

Hagrid blushed, and whispered, "Well, they apparently bribed the elves into making washing time show up a few hours early. During the morning feast before everyone left for home. While everyone was still wearing the clothes the elves were about to wash."

Dobby nodded solemnly. Well, as solemnly as an overactive mostly free house-elf can get at least. "Dobby knows! House elves love cleaning. Dobby heard that wheezys challenged house elves to make all clothes go home without spots. Then made food fight in great hall. School elves panicked because spots all over, and cleaned everything right away!"

Harry giggled, and Hagrid nodded, saying, "Right. I can definitely see the house elves acceptin' that challenge, and everyone who got washed did participate in the food figh'. I jus' wish they'd be a little more quiet abou' it. Laughs are fun and all, but they shouldn't hurt people none. Tha's just mean." Hagrid shook his head again, "Righ'. So, anything else we should look out for? Yeh won't start randomly spouting trees or anythin' will yeh?"

Harry shook his head, "No sir. Just to keep magic to a minimum."

Hagrid sighed, and settled against the wall, "Yeh keep yer secrets then. Ye'll let them out sometime, Ah'll just wait until you do." Hagrid smiled a knowing smile.

Harry blinked, then asked, "Why do you say I will let my secrets out?"

Hagrid grinned, "It's a wizarding thing. Most wizards replace common sense with magic. Makes 'em sittin' ducks for people who use their heads."

Harry snickered and covered his mouth. Then jumped as the mediwitch replied, "Unfortunately true, Mister Hagrid. Thankfully, I am a witch, and therefore have a bit of an immunity to that little problem." Harry turned to see the mediwitch holding a few sheets of parchment, and a couple books. "Now, Mister Hagrid, I cannot give these to you, as you are not the patient, but Harry might be willing to let you read them. These sheets list a whole range of magic-rich food and vegetables, Harry, please try to eat some of these each day. And this book," very firmly listing book as singular, even as she folded the smaller book into the larger one, "contains information for your problems. I do not suggest letting anyone know you have them, as it will cause questions asked of you will not want to answer."

Hagrid blinked, glanced at the colour of the book (a faded pink) and then sighed, "Aye. It'll be one of those days then. Yeh should just put the book in your new trunk, 'arry. Yeh can read it when we get yeh home." Harry nodded, then slipped the book into the trunk that Dobby proudly presented him. Pushing the stack of stuff down to fit the book in.

Harry looked at the parchment, then showed it to Hagrid, "some of this we can find in normal London, but can we pick up some of this other stuff before we go?" Hagrid nodded. Harry turned back to the mediwitch, "Is there anything else I need to do before we go?"

The mediwitch looked around then whispered, "Did you tell anyone your name before you came here?" Harry shook his head, then the witch nodded, and responded in a normal tone, "Then there is nothing else you need to do here. Off you go, get healthy, stay alive."

Dobby asked, "Where Master Harry want thing things? Dobby take there."

Harry nodded, and quietly said, "My aunt and uncle are on an island with my cousin, Hagrid and I will be going there after picking up some new clothes. Can you meet us there please?" Dobby nodded, then disappeared, taking the trunk with him. Again Harry felt a twinge when Dobby left, and grumbled, "I need more food, and quick." Hagrid nodded, and the two left the hospital.

Some time later, Harry could be heard muttering, "Pickled salamander eggs? Wouldn't the eggs boil off the water?"


	4. Laws and Rules and Tears

Author notes:

This chapter is going to be a hard read for almost everyone: The first section will be almost entirely legalese, but remember, harry is reading from a book.

Other sections of the chapter will be difficult to read on a moral standpoint.

All of this chapter is important to the story, either in the immediate sense, or in the long term.

This chapter, right here, is why the story is rated M.

* * *

Monopoly of life chapter 4

Laws and Rules and Tears

Harry curled up in his bed. Dobby had brought the trunk to the island right after leaving Harry and Hagrid behind, and Dobby seemed to want to be helpful even though he was not owned by Harry. The room that Harry was in was spotless, the wood gleaming, and much of the rest of the shack (indeed spread over two levels, however this is besides the point, it was run down, therefore it was a shack) was cleaned to a similar level.

Areas that looked about to fall apart before now bore new wood, and Harry was quite certain that the terms within the contract for renting the house, which specified "Leave it in as good condition or better than you found it...", would be followed quite to the letter, thanks to the little elf.

Inside the trunk that Dobby had filled (quite alarmingly full) was stack upon stack of books, a few clothes, some of which would no longer fit Harry, and potions ingredients. There were also quite a few letters, some of which offered their daughters as brides to Harry, others of which offered their sons (apparently the wizarding world was quite open minded that way), while still others offered their children outright, in return for a sum of gold.

Thankfully, in Harry's eyes at least, he had neither the gold, nor the desire to purchase said children. Some of whom he was certain were older than himself. He did find that each of the books had a letter associated with them, and he quickly used his new school supplies to pen individual responses to each sender. His hands were very cramped by the end.

Some of the foods that Harry had picked up looked odd, but tasted wonderful. Dudley asked to try some, and said they tasted weird when Harry happily obliged him. Hagrid got roundly scolded for letting Harry miss food (Hagrid protested, "But I fed him full meals, seven of them! It's not even five yet, and still time before dinner!")

Finally, many hours later, it was midnight, and Harry snacked on some pickled salamander eggs as he finally picked up the book that the mediwitch gave to him. The outer book, the faintly pink one, was titled, "Your body and you, a young witches guide" to which Harry immediately started blushing upon noting the title.

The second book, nestled inside the first, was titled, "Laws of the land, the Rules of Debt." Harry felt that the title seemed awfully pretentious, however he opened the book anyway. Upon reading the foreword at the beginning of the book, his outlook on life was forever changed.

This book is written directly from the laws of the land. These are not human laws, nor the laws of Kings, but the laws of magic itself. As such, magic itself is the one that keeps the balance as judge and jury by means of the laws. This book specifically deals with the rules of debt, monetary, existential, and spiritual. Everyone who has magic is held accountable, no one is exempt. Lack of knowledge is not an excuse.

The first thing anyone should know, is that everything has value. Money, of the gold, silver, and bronze variety, has a finite value, and can be used in barter for goods, work, or the release of a debt.

Existence, the act of living, can also be bartered away. You spend some of your existence working for someone else, in return for money, goods, or the release of a debt.

Spirit, the being of self, can also be bartered away. You can spend your self in return for money, work, goods, or the release of a debt.

All forms of value are interchangeable, and inter-barterable, and only through bartering can one set a value on each.

To first, gold, silver, and bronze, are each representative of the levels of debt.

An ephemeral debt is one that some would consider negligible. It is of the bronze level. common courtesy is an example of ephemeral level debt. Each person gives courtesy, and is paid back with courtesy in kind. When one does not return that courtesy, it is a slight, and therefore a debt ephemeral. A single bronze piece is the usual forfeit for a single layer of debt ephemeral. Another in-courtesy, that of pushing someone without causing hurt or damage, would also incur debt of the ephemeral level.

Three kinds have been mentioned now. bronze, for the level itself. Courtesy in general, which is of the spiritual type, and physical in-courtesy, which is of the existential level. These three all form the ephemeral level of debt. A single week will let the debt pass for all, if no debt further of this level is incurred.

The second level of debt, called temporary, is of the silver level. Temporary debt lasts for years. sixteen years, if one is a child, and five years if one is an adult. Crossing over from child to adult does not reduce the remaining debt time.

A temporary debt of the spiritual kind, is when one causes mental or emotional anguish, the method makes no difference. A temporary debt of the physical kind, would be an assault that causes physical damage, a cut or a broken bone, but does not endanger the life of the one attacked.

The final level of debt is permanent, and as its name implies, is permanent. The debt is either released through barter, or exists unto the end of time.

Permanent debt of the spiritual level would be when one causes emotional or mental anguish which is deemed unrecoverable, or merely lasts years numbering more than five. Permanent debt of the physical level, would be life endangering, or life taking. The closer to death the one endangered, the more debt incurred.

For all three levels of debt, a monetary debt would be incurred when something is received. Almost always is this paid off immediately, but through theft is the debt incurred to the point of perpetuation.

After the levels, come the layers. Each level of debt can absorb three layers per person owed, before it becomes equivalent to the next level above. thefts of a bronze level, three times to the same person, would equate one debt of the silver, or temporary level. Three debts of a temporary level, become a permanent debt. Upon three debts owed of a permanent level, a major forfeit is required.

If the debt can not be bartered for, or if the one receiving the debt does not accept the offered barter, the one owing the thrice filled debt will then owe their life to the one owed. Rarely ever can one buy oneself out of the life debt once it is claimed.

Upon this triad of debt layers, levels, and types, there is also another set, that of state. The states of debt are three. Debt accepted, wherein both sides of the debt, owed and owing, accept the debt incurred. This is the most common state of debt in the world.

The second state of debt is that of Debt Redoubled, wherein the side of debt of he or she who is owed, accepts the debt, and the side owing the debt either refuses it, or attempts to claim it in reverse. Debt redoubled is one full level higher than it would be if it were just accepted by both parties. This state of debt is second most common.

The third state is that of Debt Obstructed, wherein the side owing debt refuses the debt, or claims it in reverse, and the side owed either does not acknowledge the debt at all, or refuses the debt. This is the least common of debt states, and so far, is only found when the party owed does not know the rules of debt, or is too kind for their own good.

Debt Obstructed is one full level lower than the debt that would be incurred if accepted normally. Debt obstructed is also the most dangerous of debts, because it is the type that can be reflected back upon the person who is owed the debt. This is why it is very important to know the laws of the land, and the rules of debt specifically, so this does not happen to you.

Harry shuddered as he realized how Ron got the curse nailed on him in his first life, using the laws of debt itself to claim Harry's life as his own. "Never again," Harry swore.

The book continued:

While a plethora of ephemeral debts of any kind will eventually climb up to permanent level for how much debt is owed, that does not actually transform the debts from the lower level to the higher level.

Conversely, when debt is obstructed, or redoubled, the new level of debt is the value, the timeframe attached to the debt in question is of the original debt level. So an ephemeral debt redoubled, has a value of a temporary debt made up of ephemeral debts, and it would take three temporary debts obstructed to equal one temporary debt.

Now that the specific rules have been mentioned, the sub-rules need to be brought to light.

A single life debt owed only permits the one owed to claim the life of the one who owes. One life to keep, or one life to kill. That does not permit change to the one owing debt, unless the one owing the debt specifically agrees to it. If the one owed the life debt changes the one owing without agreement, then the life debt is considered paid off to fuel the change, and the one owing can now leave without repercussions.

Next in the life debt, is children. Under a single life debt, any children born of one who owes debt is considered free, no single life debt confers ownership of any children.

Third in the life debts: when one kills another, except in certain instances, there is an immediate life debt owed to the one killed, and it is automatically considered accepted by the one who was killed.

Third in the life debts, exception: if one is a part of a group specifically rebelling against the government under the leadership of a lord of the land, with the intention of changing laws for the betterment of the people, life debts incurred specifically during the insurrection are considered as owed to, or owing from the government.

Fourth in life debts: If a family of three or more is killed, rather than three singular life debts being incurred and owing to the family, instead it is one superdebt owed to the family. Superdebts, unlike life debts, DO transfer to all children of the one owing the debt, and any descendant of the family who is owed the debt can call it in.

Fourth in life debts, notation: This is how the high elves of old were transformed into the house elves of today: they as a race had killed hundreds of families of wizards and mundane alike, and when the debt was called in, the entire race was first enslaved, then transformed, and third made their magic dependant on wizards to be used. While a house-elf may be freed, they still require wizard magic to use their own.

All house elves of today know of the sins of their fathers. Some house elves have been freed, only to die off when attempting to live away from wizard kind. Others were freed, and stayed with wizard kind out of regret, or in some cases love. It is estimated that at this time, it will be another thirty generations before high elves will be born clean of the debt of their forefathers.

It is uncertain whether the transformations or the dependencies on wizards will remain, as this is the first time this has ever happened that one race killed so many of another, and still had the debt called in.

As with life debts, a superdebt may be used to create a change in the one owing the debt, and it would be hereditary until the debt is considered paid. If only one superdebt is owed, the change would be induced, but the one owing the debt could walk free, although the changes will again perpetuate until the debt is considered paid.

Superdebts are a unique occurrence, they can not be claimed from three separate life debts owed, it must specifically be three or more people dying to create the superdebt. If more than one person is involved in the creation of the debt, ALL involved are owing the superdebt, not just having three (or more) separate debts owed by the group separately.

Fifth in life debts: it is common for military, paramilitary, and police organizations to incur debts internally to an extreme degree. It is also common for people inside the military to barter between each other the payment of any debts owed. It is rumoured that each police department has a single gold coin that has been passed around so many times it is now considered 'lucky'.

Sixth under life debts: another unique life debt, is when a family brings a new life into the world. The new born child owes its life, a full life debt, to both its parents, although the debt itself is only temporary. Once the child reaches the age of majority (Seventeen in Britain) the debt is considered paid off, as at that point most children will have jobs and be sending money and gifts to their parents.

Sixth under life debt, notation: Most children make small payments towards their life debts to their parents through chores. While that does not come close to 'repaying the debt' completely, it does keep the debt at a static level.

Sixth under life debt, addendum: because the child owes its life to its parents, at any time either parent may sell off the child to another person. At that time, the life debt goes from being temporary for the child, to permanent. Most children sold this way end up as slaves, and can only be released by their owners.

As with all life debts resulting in slavery, only the owners of the slaves may release them from slavery. Not even the death of the owner will release the slave, as the debt owed is transferred through the family. If there is no family left to claim the debt, the ownership of the debt, and therefore the slave, reverts to the government.

General debts, section one: Many times, something may be done for someone else, 'for their own good'. If any intention of harm, physical, mental, or theft, is involved in the doing, then debt is incurred, whether the harm happens or not. Most times, this is done with the intention of creating debt obstructed.

At that point, the one to whom harm was intended has one full year to notice the occurrence and claim the debt, before the debt reverts into debt obstructed. The amount of debt incurred is commensurate with how much harm is intended, and if it is spread across multiple types, it is incurred for each type at full cost.

Example: if one were to isolate one's friend 'for their own good' from all peers, and charge them for it through theft, and that resulted in the isolated friend being hurt over the isolation, then debt incurred would be one portion for each instance of hurt in addition to the theft of coin. It is wise not to attempt this, as even one utterance of 'I claim all debt' could end up from a childish prank into owing a life debt.

General debts, section two: If one puts themselves in harms way to protect another, then the one in danger is now owed debt directly related to how much danger he or she was in, and indirectly related to how many people were protected from such an action. Example: if someone were to protect three others, and has an almost guaranteed chance of dying, then that person would be owed six portions of life debt, spread evenly across those who were protected. Conversely, if death is guaranteed, each person saved owes an absolute minimum of one portion of permanent debt to the one saving their life.

General debts section three: direct and indirect. While it is technically a part of two, it also applies in the broader sense as well. The person harmed directly, say, the person stolen from, or the person injured, gains debt owed at the normal level of debt.

Every person harmed indirectly, the friends and family of the person who was injured, or the employers of the one who was stolen from (if one were to be stolen from while working inside a business) will receive debt at one half the amount of debt received by the one receiving directly.

Example: if one were to save an entire community by defending oneself fatally from a rabid werewolf, then each person saved would be indirectly saved, and only the person about to be attacked would be directly owing debt. As with directly saving someone, there is an absolute minimum of one portion of debt being owed by each person saved indirectly. When lives are endangered, it is always of a permanent level.

General debts, section three, addendum: there is a type of attack called 'pranking' wherein people are humiliated in order to make others laugh. There are instances of this wherein debt incurred can be ephemeral, or temporary. If one were to target a small group maliciously for the prank, then debt would be incurred by those initiating the prank would be considered temporary.

Conversely, if the ones initiating the prank do not target one specific group, and even allow themselves to be targeted as part of the prank, than any debts through humiliation would be considered ephemeral at best, given that no-one was targeted maliciously.

Also: If the prank is targeted maliciously, but as retaliation for an attack in kind, or a harmful attack, then the prank would instead be considered restitution of debt owed. If harm is incurred, anyone may retaliate to resolve debt incurred. It is a very good idea to keep close account of debts in this instance, as escalation could end up with the starting group eventually owing life debts.

Harry's head swam as he put down the book, noting that most of the rest of the book merely dealt with examples of debt, and how much it tended to be worth. He looked out the window, noting that the sun seemed to be starting to rise. He rolled over in bed, and closed his eyes, trying to get as much sleep as possible.

* * *

Harry had just closed his eyes, when suddenly they were open again. He was sitting with his legs crossed, and he was in a room he had never seen before. "Welcome young Harry. Late you are. Long ago, night fell."

Harry looked around. He was in a body different from his own, and he had strange tails sticking out the back of his head. Beside him sat two other children. One of them was female with marbled red eyes, horns pointing up from the sides of her head, almost like head tails coming down her front, ending in another pair of small horns. The third child looked almost like a young lion.

Harry then noticed Yoda, with a young man beside him. Older than Harry right now, but not terribly old. The man had sandy brown hair, with a light beard and moustache. He was dressed in cream cloth robes, with a leather-like belt. The other two children also seemed to be looking around with confused eyes. Looking at the man, Harry asked, "Who are you?"

The man grinned, opening his eyes, "Well met, Harry. Nice to finally meet you from the other side."

Yoda laughed, "Obi-wan, this one's name is. Surprised I am, at which question you ask first. Why not now are you surprised at the body you inhabit?" Yoda grinned, and stepped around all three children, "Three I saw, three there are. Names, please, all of you. Friends of Harry you are. Go on, speak up!"

Harry raised his hand, "I'm Harry Potter," He didn't get any farther when the cat-boy rushed over and hugged him.

"Master Harry Potter sir! How you do this to Dobby? Is Dobby really Master Harry Potter sir's friend? Really? World here is different, you were asleep so long. Dobby stayed quiet like good elf and listened to the sky."

Harry grinned, then hugged the cat-boy back, "Dobby! Yes Dobby, you are my friend. I think...I think the rules of debt do not really apply here. While the land is the land, this is not the land we were born in."

Yoda perked up, "Rules of debt, you say. Far from our galaxy are you. Maybe from this universe. While access to the force you have, different it is from our access."

Obi-wan spoke up, "I see what you mean by the eyes appearing very different. Dia's eyes were pink before, not a green so brilliant. And it is very true. While you, Harry, accessed the force through me, it was a more centralized connection, rather than your entire being holding the connection to the force. Do you know anything about that?"

Harry blinked, and was about to reply, when the third child spoke up, sounding vaguely familiar, "Analysis complete. Login request?"

Harry turned to the girl who sat there unmoving. "Raging Heart?" The girl turned and looked at Harry with her startling eyes.

"Access initiated. Login please," The girl stared at Harry.

Harry untangled himself from whom he now knew to be Dobby, and looked at the girl, "My name is Harry Potter."

The girl nodded, then asked, "Administrator login initiated, password please?"

Harry closed his eyes, and quoted from memory, "I am the one who received this mission. Under your contract, release those powers to me. Winds to the sky, Stars to the heavens, and the unwavering soul to this heart. Magic to these hands, Raging Heart, set up!" Harry trembled, feeling his energy sapping from himself, even as the girl's eyes glowed.

"Login accepted. Unable to complete initialization at this time. Energy analysis requested, unable to display. Audio analysis acceptable?" The girl's eyes dimmed, and then looked over at Yoda.

Yoda coughed, and nodded, "Acceptable, audio is."

Obi-wan grinned at Harry and Dobby, "I've never seen a living computer before. The technology on your world must be simply amazing,"

Dobby tilted his head at Obi-wan, then asked, "What is tek no loogie?"

Harry giggled, and Raging Heart started talking, "Analysis: Linker core, known locally as squibbing core. Small energy availability due to low local mana. Analysis: Paradox core, no other names available, time inverted core, inaccessible except through time-inversion species, species list: basilisk and phoenix, description: lazy bums." Harry again burst into giggles, "Analysis: ability known as force. Access by internal and external mana. Unable to replicate." Raging Heart tilted her head, then spoke up again, "User access request to vocal apparatus: Ahsoka Tano. Grant access?"

Harry blinked, and then nodded, "Yes please."

The girl blinked, and her eyes suddenly changed to a crystalline blue colour, "That is odd. Master Yoda, I saw what Miss Heart was trying to describe. Do you mind if I interpret?"

Yoda smiled, and nodded, "Excellent idea, young one. Through different eyes, maybe more we shall see,"

The girl nodded, then started talking, "You taught us that everything has the force. What I saw from their world, they do have the force, but it isn't as strong as here. Harry Potter seems to be gaining access to the force there, but it is slow. He has to ...grow? The midichlorians we have naturally. I do not understand how he is growing them. Apparently, that also takes a lot of the energy that Miss Heart uses to stay alive, so she has restricted herself to...standby mode, I think she calls it. She can still see, but does not have access to all of her abilities. It is rather like seeing the world in red and blue, but missing green."

Yoda nodded, "what I have seen, matches this does. Can Raging Heart through your eyes still see? Or back did she go?"

The girl named Ahsoka nodded, "She is still here, Master Yoda. Did you want her back in control, or should she just watch? Oh, she says she should just watch, she does not have authorization to do anything until her initialization is complete. Is that fine, Master Yoda?"

Yoda nodded, then poked Obi-Wan, "Your mouth you should close. A different world they are from, different things do they have access to. To teach we were here today, and to learn. But time left there is not for both. Today I think we shall learn. Tell us, of these rules of debt you speak. Please."

Obi-wan stuttered, "How can you have a living computer, and yet no technology. It doesn't make sense."

Harry coughed, then replied, "Actually, we three are from different worlds. I grew up in a mundane world, with technology, but nothing like you have here. Dobby," Dobby bounced and waved, "came from a world entirely of magic, which interferes with technology. And Raging Heart comes from an alternate world which has both magic and technology working in harmony."

Harry settled himself. Looking down, apparently he was a she right now, to which he just hung his head, and then replied, "I only just now learned of the rules of debt. I do not know if it is unique to our world, however, it is a part of the laws of the land. Reading the book is actually why I was here so late. Dobby probably knows the rules much better than I, he has lived with them for I have no idea how long now."

Dobby nodded, "Dobby knows. Dobby lived with rules for leventy five years."

Yoda grinned, "Eleventy five? one hundred fifteen, would that not be?"

Dobby grinned, "Yes yes, 'leventy five. Dobby thirteenty three right now. Elfling not taught rules until is can talk wizardy. Dobby learned slow." here he pouted, which looked cute on his currently furry face.

Obi-wan shook his head, and then asked, "Why do you speak so strangely, Dobby? Harry can speak just fine and Raging Heart as well, although she speaks more like a computer."

Dobby hung his head, "Dobby is house elf. Is slaves because of rules of debt. Dobby gramma mama and gramma pa and all others in that time kill lots and lots of people. Debt called, Dobby race enslaved."

Obi-wan grimaced, "How vile. Do you not want to be free?"

Dobby shook his head, "Dobby is free. Dobby want not be free. Each elf free means longer wait till all free again. Right now, Dobby be fifteenty fifyty before all elf free again. Has much to pay back."

Obi-wan grimaced, "Still, why do you permit yourselves to be enslaved? Why..."

Yoda raised his hand, "Patience, Obi-wan. Our position it is not to decide."

Dobby grimaced, "Is needs know rules of debt. Is laws deeper than laws. Is...magic itself making debt be paid back. If debt too deep, makes owes life to people. If kills families, debt makes self and all childrens owe debt, until life paid for life."

Obi-wan blinked, "So, the force makes you pay back what you owe?"

Dobby grimaced, "Is cans not show. Is no magics here. Can do borrows other way? Force is to magics as...as...Dobby no know words!" He shuddered, "Dobby want say is world is to world. But world is world. Is same, but not same. Magics is lifes and airs and livings and earths and fires and waters. Force is mentals and all magics. But mentals get in way of magics. Is only small bit of magics can get with force. Magics get in way of mentals too. Makes mentals fuzzy. Is medi witch words, 'Wizards substitute magic for common sense.' Dobby no real understand, but makes sense."

Yoda asked softly, "Your speech, it interferes with?"

Dobby nodded frantically, "Yes! Yes yes yes. Is more magics, is less mentals. Is makes mentals go away. Dobby strong. Can live without Master magic for longtime. Maybe year. Maybe two. But by time mentals come back, is starving. Elves need magics to live. All elves talk funny funny. Some talk funny less. Funny less die right away if away from wizards."

Obi-wan murmured, "So it is like a symbiotic existence. Was it always this way?"

Dobby tilted his head, "Sim bee tick? Dobby no know word. But always this was? No. Is debt made us like this. Is changed to make regret. Some elves regret now. Some elves love now. Most hate still, though. Is debt makes long, because elves is long. Until all regrets, none may go back. Some not want go back. Is better now, for some. Before, was fight fight fight. Kill forever. Elves not nice people before. Some are now. Maybe all later. Dobby only hopes."

Yoda nodded, then sighed, "Time, it is. Back to your bodies, go you need. Much to think about I have. One month, will next we meet. Careful be. Be with you, the force shall be."

Dobby grinned, then bowed, "May magics keep you safe."

Harry sighed, then bowed as well, "Take care."

With a liquid flash, all three younglings fell down. Ahsoka was the first to bring herself back up to a seated position, followed shortly by Dia, and finally Mianote. Dia was the first to comment, "It was rather weird having a boy inside me. I thought that if there were any boys that Mianote would get them."

Yoda nodded, "Another girl there was. See Dobby I did not. Notice also, I did, that reject him you did not."

Dia nodded, "He just received a shock. Apparently he is...turning into a girl?" her voice raised in confusion, "I do not see how that could work. It takes a lot of surgery for someone to do that here, maybe more is possible with this magic of theirs? I do not know. He is struggling. Trying to find balance. I think magic in their world causes more emotions. I did notice that rather than hiding away his emotions, he examines them, and then lets the bad emotions pass. I think he is using good emotions to balance them. It seems odd, Master Yoda. Is this what you wanted us to learn?"

Yoda nodded, "Logical, you are. Correct you are. In the way of the living force, Master Quigon taught me. A bad way, it is not. Good, calm is, but through self denial it is not. To learn this, I hope, you all do."

All three younglings nodded. Ahsoka spoke up, "Raging Heart was very calm, but she was upset as well. I do not think she liked a body that needed to breathe. It was interesting experiencing a mind that ordered, but I feel that I should be more disordered to make up for it."

Yoda grimaced, "Apologize I do, to your future master. Disordered you were before, more now will be unimaginable."

Minaote spoke up last, "I believe that of the three, Dobby was not a bad fit for me. His mind was very ordered, but whenever he reached for words, others would get in the way. His way of speaking seems almost like a compromise between what he wants to say and what he can say. Even here, away from those rules of debt that he mentioned, they still held him fast. He actually was not allowed to say that much about the laws, but he let me read them from his mind."

Yoda smiled, "Very good, that is. Tell us these rules, you will."

Mianote nodded, took a deep breath, and started, "He showed me…"

* * *

Harry woke up groggily, realizing that he was being shaken, "Harry, Harry!" He opened his eyes, which honestly felt like they were glued shut.

"I'm up I'm up," Harry replied, yawning

"Finally!" He realized that it was his aunt waking him up, and she seemed rather upset, "I was worried you weren't going to wake up. Not even Dudley crashing around made you budge. You have already missed breakfast, and it is nearly past brunch. Aren't you ravenous?" Harry looked into his Aunt's eyes, realizing that yes; she honestly was worried for him. He opened his arms. After she looked around, Aunt Petunia hugged him close. "Don't worry me like that, please! Did Hagrid feed you well? You looked so thin when you came back..."

"I'm fine," Harry replied quietly, "I was just really tired. I stayed up most of the night reading one of the books I picked up yesterday. It was really interesting and I could not put it down."

Aunt Petunia hugged Harry a bit harder, then let go, "Okay, up you get. Time for brunch at least. How much food did you buy yesterday?" She led Harry off to the table.

Over the course of the week, Harry snuck quick reads from both of the books from the mediwitch. He also found another piece of parchment folded up and stuffed in the back of the pink book. What he read left him shivering.

Venus Maledicto: A ministry approved and classified curse. Only someone who works in the ministry is allowed to cast this spell, and every casting of the spell is logged. This spell is only ever used in accordance with the Laws of the Land, as prescribed under the Rules of Debt. Due to the torture of the receiver of the curse, use of this spell on someone who owes debt actually uses up two full life debts worth. The torture applied under this spell is that the spell takes up to eight years to complete, less time the more debt is owed to the caster. The spell also makes it so that the reproductive system is the first thing permanently changed. Hair colour during instances of change has been known to be rather random, becoming more colourful than flowers in the forest. If the spell is used on someone under the debt rule of debt obstructed, sometimes the cursed one gains limited metamorphmagus abilities. If the spell is cast AFTER the effects start (only been known to happen twice so far, both times to limited Seers) it is possible to stop the curse before completion. Both times it required the seers to reverse the debt that allowed the spell to be cast in the first place. Even if not completed, the cursed one will be female enough to have children. The one time the debt was reversed soon enough, the cursed one could still have children as a male. Either way, under debt obstructed, if the debt is returned to where it should be, all bonds of slavery that this spell incurs are reversed permanently. The slavery is permanent either way, whether of the cursed one to the caster, or the caster to the cursed one. No release of the slave is permitted, due to the governmental requirement. No government ever releases any slaves, ever.

For the extended timeline, wherein the caster only has the bare minimum debt over the cursed one, the first that will happen is hair changes once per day, for approximately eight hours. during the eight hours of coloured hair, the first thing that will happen is: at one week, skin will soften. At one month: emotions will be looser, occasional crying at this time. At four months: Womb can be seen during a standard medical visit. At one year: womb is working, and the cursed one will start her menses. At one year six months: breasts will start to grow. At two years: Hips are noticeably female. At three years: male facial hair will stop growing, if it was growing before this. At five years: Male sexual organs will start to shrink, up to year eight, at which the cursed one will be completely female.

Also at eight years is when the slavery bond will be finalized, and the cursed one (or the cursing one, if reversed) will then act as a slave to the cursing one (or cursed one, if reversed) as dictated under the rules of debt. After this point, the slavery can still be reversed, in theory. It has not yet happened in practice, however.

As mentioned before, at two life debts, it is the bare minimum to cast the spell. At three life debts, it will take 6 years for the curse to complete. At four life debts, it will take four years. At five life debts or more, it will take two years for the curse to complete. At one superdebt, the curse will complete over the course of one year, and the cursed one will never have anything but female children. As of yet, only the Sarndis line has ever been subjected to this. As they were half-elves, they have been folded into house-elves for treatment and breeding. All offspring of that line are named Sarn to keep track of them.

Thankfully, in Harry's eyes, he read that paper late in the night, when everyone else was asleep. He had nightmares for the next three days because of it, all of which left him sweating and shaking as he came down for breakfast.

Aunt Petunia noticed, as did Hagrid when he came over on Sunday, that Harry had started to gain a bit of weight. Both realized it was the magic content of the foods that was helping Harry, and Hagrid believed that his food offering of pumpkin juice and a salad with snapgrass seeds would help even more.

Dudley mentioned after dinner that the snapgrass seeds tasted like lemonade.

Now that Harry knew what he would be looking forward to, (ugh, really?) he started to read the pink book in earnest. The section close to the back, however, shocked him again when he found the section of magical growth and blockage.

Magical growth: Witches and wizards alike both have magical cores that grow over time. The growth, however, does not match up with how fast their bodies are growing, or even the growth of their minds. Wizarding school provides an outlet for the excess magic, in that casting spells all day, successful or not, uses up almost all of the magic that could cause problems.

However, if the casting of spells does not keep up with the growth of magic, then a witch (or a wizard) would need to drain it off in other ways. It is not suggested to have sex until one is at least of the age of majority (sixteen at this time, three hundred years ago the age of sexual majority was fourteen. Be glad, witches of today, because your body would not be ready if you tried that young) but one can take things in hand, and bring oneself to orgasm, or at least release. If ones breasts are used in the bringing to orgasm, sometimes the magic released will release from the breasts, rather than your sexual organs. This is sometimes mistaken as milk. It is safe for someone to drink this false milk, as long as they are taking things in hand regularly. Wizards do not release magic through their breasts, as they are not designed for such things.

It is better to not use your breasts during taking things in hand all the time, as breast-magic release actually drains not just excess magic, but magic from your core as well, as that is how babies are given their first magics. It is entirely possible, through playing with your breasts, to drain yourself into a coma. It is also not suggested to use your breasts like that if you are younger than twelve, as it would cause excess growth of both your core, as well as your breasts, and not only will you produce magic-fluid, but also milk as well. Any growth in the breasts during that time will be added in to your normal growth, and the milk will also be permanent. Again, young witches, do NOT do this!

As an example, the witches of the Prewett line used to have small, pert breasts. Over the course of two generations, due to using the wrong method of releasing excess magic, they went to overly large breasts instead. Take warning, and do not do this!

Magical blockage: Some witches might feel that 'playing with oneself' is wrong or improper in some way. While doing it in public IS improper, doing it in private is perfectly fine. Some wizards, supposedly, feel the same way. The way to identify a witch (or wizard) who is suffering from magical blockage is subtle, but easy to notice in more extreme cases. Both witches and wizards suffering from blockage will tend to be more energetic than normal, sometimes they will be rather high strung, and they can not stop moving in some way. Magical blockage is very bad, as it can and will inhibit growth of your magical core, as well as interfere with your ability to think straight. Excess magic is bad, always has been, always will be.

If you are sufficient friends with the witch or wizard so blocked, sometimes it is considered acceptable to assist them in taking things in hand. Drinking the blocked one's magic-fluid so released is considered gross by some, and sweet or romantic by others. The reason all schools have only the witches' dorms blocked off from wizards coming up, is that wizards tend to not know about the blockage issues, and an enterprising witch could assist the wizard in his own bed. That also prevents the wizards from assaulting unwilling witches sexually. Unfortunately, that only applies to the dorms, and all witches should be careful in the hallways, and travel in groups.

Just to note, witches! If a wizard assaults you in this way, it is a permanent level debt, and you should claim it right away! If you find yourself waking up in a room and not have any memories of arriving in that room, immediately claim all debts owed to you!

Unfortunately since the year 1873, it has been illegal to sell this book, as well as the book on the rules of debt, due to a ruling in the wizengamot prohibiting knowledge of sex or slaves to muggleborn. Thankfully, the law says nothing about making copies of these books, nor does it say anything about giving them away.

Harry finally finished reading the pink book, furtively, only at night, and only for an hour or so, on August 31st. Tomorrow he was to take the train to Hogwarts.

* * *

Author note:

By the way! For anyone who notices little things, there is at least one easter egg in every single chapter, all the way back to chapter 1, and including this chapter. No-one has called me on them yet.

Digital cookies to each person who private messages me the easter eggs they found.

I will award in the next chapter those who found them.

Have fun!


	5. Journeys

**Author's note:**

shortish chapter today, and it was a bit difficult to write out. Not because of subject, but because the point of view jumped around a bit before getting to Harry.

This chapter is mostly unbeta'd at this time, it will be traded out with the beta'd version once my betas wake up. I only finished writing it at like 2am this morning.

Still no-one finding the easter eggs. Are they just that well hidden?

anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5

Journeys

"You know, of all the things I've ever expected, a school at the end of that rail was the last thing. And the entire place had ghosts too, but no-one was worried about them. Heck, the ghosts were helping some of the teachers get ready for classes! I wish the ghosts in our town were half so nice." Ray gushed as the three Ghostbusters climbed up from the basement

"Indeed. It was surprising that they did not request the ghosts be removed. Though they were more surprised that we found the place than about the ghosts. I've never heard of a school called Salem Witches Institute before. You would think it would be named after the Salem witch trials, but no signs of that bit of history could be seen."

Ray nodded at Egon, "Exactly, it was very intriguing. Oh well, maybe we can find out more, they invited us back next summer. Hey, maybe you could bring Janine with us next time!"

Egon halted, blanched, and pushed up his glasses, "I...see. Well, I need to go. Elsewhere. Quickly." He rushed up the stairs, leaving Ray and Winston paused.

Ray was about to say something else, when the two men heard a resounding SMACK, and a shrill yell from Janine, "WHY did you leave me behind with Peter? I could have come with you! I would have LOVED to have come with you! Anything to get away from..." And then a solid thump as the door sealed at the top of the stairs.

"Wait a bit?" Winston asked nervously.

Ray nodded, "Yeah." they both sat down on the stairs. "Glad we left the packs on the train."

* * *

Orchid stared at the paths in the web of time, then pushed one thread closer to another. "It is much too soon for you to arrive. Better to give you something else to focus on for a bit," She murmured.

The web shimmered, then settled in the new configuration, causing the web-lines further down to settle down and cease being a tangled mess of aether.

* * *

As Nanoha turned away from Chrono to leave, an alarm started blaring.

Amy immediately turned to her computer, "Lost logia detected!"

Chrono snarled, and tried to get one of the screens around him to show anything other than 'Alert', "Do we have any information?"

Amy grimaced, "Looks like a shape shifting mental assault class device. It's been lost for a thousand years. Picture on main screen!"

On the screen there was a redheaded girl pushing away a blue-black haired girl. Both girls looked to be about sixteen years of age, and the red-haired girl had a glint of jewelry on her hands. The screen highlighted the jewellery, and brought up a list of statistics.

Amy nodded, "Okay, looks like a device called Shattered dreams. It was lost from Old Belka, one thousand five hundred years ago. Details are sketchy, but apparently the device itself is insane, and causes insanity in its users. no wonder it's listed as a lost logia."

Chrono nodded, "Okay, Nanoha, Fate, I'll need you to retrieve that device. Your journey to Earth is being postponed. Where is the device, Amy?"

Amy tapped on her keyboard, blinked, and then tapped again. "The device...is on an Earth analogue. Access point is...five meters from the portal that caused you to call Nanoha and Fate in."

Chrono grimaced, "This can't be a coincidence. Nanoha, do you mind leaving Vivio here while you take care of that lost logia? Maybe save the user please? If you need to negotiate, I think we can get another device not quite so dangerous."

Nanoha nodded, then hugged Vivio, "Vivio-chan? Can you stay with uncle Chrono please? Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama have to go save someone. We'll be back soon, okay?"

Vivio nodded, "Yes Nanoha-mama! Byebye Nanoha-mama! Byebye Fate-mama!" The excitable little girl quickly hugged both girls before running and jumping into Chrono's arms.

Fate nodded, "We will be back soon. Stay safe."

* * *

Yoda stood in front of a group from the diplomatic corp. He stood tall, and spoke clearly, "Outbound Flight, a good idea was. Too large it was. A mistake it was. Again we will try. Smaller it will be. The original plan it will be. Volunteers we will need, for beyond the Republic you shall be. " He looked around at the corp, and then continued, "To places uncharted will you be going, but a destination you will have. A youngling, I have been teaching. Beyond the galaxy edge, far far beyond. To him you would be going, for a world inhabited is there. Far you will be, and difficult it will be to return. Out of reach of the Republic you will be. If now we wished to leave, ships do we have. But supplies, we do not. Computer cores, we do not have. Today, you will not be leaving. In one month, leave you may. No more than two. Stop, if you can, where the last flight was heard from. Information you should get, if you find any. To us, send the information back. A rescue mission, this is not. A diplomatic mission, this is. Young, the world is, that you will be going to. Spacefaring, they may not yet be."

Yoda turned to the Jedi in the corp, "Two master Jedi will we need. Volunteers, of course. Without Padawans, the volunteers should be. With you, three padawans will go. To each master, one padawan. To learn the ways of the new world, the third padawan will be going. All may learn from each. Inhibit learning, we will not."

Yoda nodded, then spoke again to the entire group, "Beyond these walls, this should not be heard. What is needed, gather quietly. With you, shall information be going. To build, to repair, a new temple to fill. For ships, information bring. Those who volunteer, please stay behind. To the rest, please assist. We go to expand our knowledge, and to preserve what we have."

Most of the diplomats started talking quietly amongst themselves, and the Jedi looked between each other. Some had smiles, some had frowns. One had a smirk, hidden in the crowd. The new voyage was in progress, it was only a matter of time.

* * *

Three people in stark white robes sat talking in a stark white room, around a stark white table.

"What news do you have?" asked one person. The voice of the person echoed, and it's hard to tell if the person is male or female. Not even the cut of the robes gave any hint, as all were cut the same. The only difference any of them had, was one of the three was half again taller than the others.

"The old man has some plot going, trying to make him latch onto the most vocal of his supporters." The taller one replied.

"Any chance of it succeeding?" the third person asked.

"None. His family actually cares for him. Completely opposite from the original plan. He also has other issues, some of which could cause major problems to plots in play. Some of which could cause him major problems if he's not careful. Thankfully, our insider at the hospital gave him the books." The tallest person replied.

"Which books?" the first person asked sharply. Even through the cloaking robes, the person seemed agitated.

The taller person nodded, "Section twenty seven alpha. Section forty two. And given the first book, most likely pamphlet forty eight alpha as well."

"What does The Book say?" the first person asked, and the capitalization of the words into a name could be heard, even though the masking of the voice.

The third person replied, "The Book says that magical europe owes him one layer of permanent. He owes no-one anything as of yet. The book also notes that you," the person looked towards the tallest one, "owed and paid off an ephemeral level when you met him the first day."

The tallest one nodded, "I accidentally broke character twice. Thankfully he didn't notice at the time. The repayment was a promise made."

The first asked sharply, "Will the promise interfere with your job?"

The tallest replied, "No. It will actually help, as it is another layer of security over him."

The first snarled, "So how did a forty eight alpha get landed on him with everyone owing him?"

The tallest replied with a grin in their tone, "I can not say."

The third nodded, "That would match up with our information as well. Very well. Do you have any suggestion for short-stopping the old man's plot for today?"

The tallest nodded, "I can pick him up, or I could send a friend to show him the way. Personally I would rather the first, as I can hitch a ride on the express. Everyone knows I am not allowed to use magical transport."

The first nodded, "See that you do then. Please also try to get more information about what you can not talk about. Anything you are allowed to let slip will probably help immensely."

The tallest nodded, "Of course. Do we need anything else?"

Both the first and third waved him away, the third replying, "Nothing at this time. Please come back for your regular check-in."

The tallest nodded, stood up, and then walked through one of the walls.

The first snorted, "Drama queen," and then vanished. The third laughed, and also vanished.

Nothing was left in the room, not even the table.

* * *

Harry woke up. Or at least he thought he woke up. He seemed to be standing in the middle of the air, with a larger-than-life Raging Heart floating in front of him.

'Greetings,' came the ringing voice of the marble, 'Analysis required.'

Harry blinked, then stood up (on a cloud?) and asked, "What do you need information about? I will give you what I can."

'Statement: Being: Dobby stated that magic interferes with ability to think. Observation: mental acuity in world data was retrieved from appears to not have this issue. Analysis: Possibility of linker core filtering magic from mental acuity?'

Harry blinked, then shook his head, "I don't know. I really don't. I did notice that older wizards tend to get more erratic as they get older, but that could just be age."

'Analysis: Inconclusive.'

Harry looked around. Well, this definitely was sky, not space. Space was supposed to be black, right? Yet there wasn't a ground to look down to, so...he gave up, "What is this place?" he asked.

Raging Heart replied, 'Training space. Mental construct to train abilities and tactics.'

Harry inquired, "Why didn't you show me this before?"

'Mana requirement too high, dangerous. Still dangerous, no mana replenishment available. Can only use for short bursts, and only when sufficient mana is available. Rate of use and production of mana is variable, sufficient buffer hard to calculate. Mana source: Paradox Core: incompatible.' Raging Heart replied.

Harry grimaced, "And with me needing to eat until I'm insensate just to gain weight back, that's going to take a while. Are you analyzing the foods I eat as well? to see which helps the most?"

Raging Heart replied, 'Negative. Counting food requirement deemed too invasive until specifically asked for.'

Harry nodded, "Okay, please monitor the food I eat. If some things help more than others, maybe I can focus more on those until I am not at a dangerous point anymore."

'Affirmative.'

Harry blinked, and woke up.

* * *

A diplomat was quickly shuffled into Senator Palpatine's office, "Ah, my friend. Do you have news for me?"

The diplomat nodded, "Indeed I do, senator. The Jedi are resurrecting the Outbound Flight project. They appear to be funding it entirely on their own, and even have ships available."

"Goodness, that plan was a good idea originally. Do you know where they were planning on stopping on their way?"

The diplomat nodded, "Indeed. Master Yoda mentioned that they should check on where the previous flight went, to see if they can find more information, and call for a rescue mission if necessary."

Palpatine nodded, "Good good, excellent information. Could you tell me, why did you come to me like this? Why not announce it?"

The diplomat shook his head, "It seems that Yoda wants to do it quietly, he asked that no-one mention it outside the discussion room."

Palpatine nodded, "Excellent work. Thank you for your assistance in this. You should find your regular payment in your account fairly soon now."

"Thank you, Senator." The diplomat bowed, then quickly left the room.

Palpatine waited several minutes, attending to busywork, before he took his leave from his office. He went to an unregistered holoterminal, pulled up his hood, and then sent a message out. "Thrawn. The Jedi have decided to send another group your way, to see what happened to the first. I think it would be mutually beneficial for them to come to the same fate."

* * *

Harry woke up for SURE this time. He looked at the ceiling. White ceiling. Looked around, okay, there are some of Dudley's old broken toys. Harry quickly looked at the clock, 7am. Aunt Petunia would be waking him up shortly, better to be dressed and ready. He didn't want to be late for the train and all!

Harry quickly got dressed in his new (and not overly expensive either) clothes. Black pants, hemmed up to fit him, with enough rolled up inside to account for growth. Tan shirt, not too dressy, fluffed out a bit to hide how thin he was. And a nice light blue sweater-vest over top, because it was a bit nippy out. Just as he finished buttoning up his vest, Aunt Petunia knocked on the door, "Harry? Breakfast."

Harry grinned, and carefully opened the door, "I'm ready," He announced. He stood as straight as he could. Inspection time.

Aunt Petunia looked him over, head to toe, then gently commented, "Socks dear, if it is cold enough for the vest, then wear some medium or heavy socks as well. Your body is not the only place you can catch a chill."

Harry nodded, and pulled a pair of woolen socks from his trunk, closing it quietly, "Going up north to Scotland, it will be colder there, better for the warmer socks then." Aunt Petunia nodded and waved him downstairs.

On the table was a hearty breakfast. Bubble and squeak, kippers, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon and eggs (sunny side up) and a tall glass of orange juice. A couple small hard-boiled eggs sat at the side of the plate.. "I thought some of those pickled eggs you have would go well with this," Aunt Petunia commented.

Harry grinned, said, "Thank you very much," and proceeded to eat everything before him, quickly and cleanly.

Just as Harry finished eating his breakfast, there was a heavy knock at the door. Both Harry and Aunt Petunia looked at each other, then his aunt called out, "Who is it?" Some shuffling and thumping upstairs told Harry that his cousin and Uncle were quickly getting dressed.

"It's me, Hagrid! I'm 'ere to take 'arry to the train." Came the voice from behind the door.

Aunt Petunia quickly rushed over and opened the door, "Goodness, we did not expect you, let alone this early. Vernon and I were going to take Harry to Kings Cross ourselves." Petunia quickly ushered the giant of a man into the house, and said, "Come in come in, you don't need to wait outside like some stranger."

Hagrid grinned as he carefully stepped in through the doorway, "I din' want to be rude and all. And I thought I'd take 'arry to the train, save you and yer family the time. I would be takin' the train m'self. Not with the children, mind ye, but up front wit' the other adults. That, an' I could make sure 'arry had enough food to last the train ride."

Aunt Petunia looked like she was about to object, until Hagrid mentioned that last bit. A look of relief came to her face as she nodded, "That would be smashing. Would you need money for the food, or did you bring some of your," She trailed off as Hagrid pulled out three large bags, from which she could smell baking, "Excellent. You brought lunch yourself. Harry's been filling out wonderfully since you started bringing food over for the weekend. I think your food was just what Harry needed to get healthy again."

Hagrid nodded, "The evidence points tha' way it does. While I ain't no fancy chef, I can cook decent food. And what better food to have on a train ride than home cooked food, righ'?" Both Harry and Aunt Petunia nodded.

"I will just go get my trunk then," Harry said, only to have the trunk land at his feet. "And that was quick. Thank you Dobby!"

Dobby ran down the stairs and bounced, "You is welcome, master Harry."

Hagrid looked at the little elf, "I thought ye'd go elsewhere, bein' free an' all." Hagrid mused.

Dobby shook his head, "Dobby free, but Dobby not want be free. Is taking silver to be master Harry's elfservant. Not slave. Dobby get to clean all over and be good elf, but wears clothes. Stays with master Harry because is safe safe. Only takes silver in protest."

Harry shook his head, "Dobby, you are doing work for me. Work needs to be paid for. Even if you do it as a gift, I need to pay you to keep the balance." Dobby stared at Harry, then nodded. "Good. Now, I do not know if you are allowed to come on the train. Are you even allowed to work in the school while I am there?"

Dobby blinked, then nodded, "Dobby do. Dobby have to work for school when at school, but can be there with master Harry. Maybe Dobby take silver from school for work? Dobby no wants take silver at all. But if Dobby has to, Dobby has to."

Petunia sighed in exasperation, "Now Dobby. I hope you will remember this, but when you come home next summer, please keep any help you give out of sight. Vernon and Dudley are not all that comfortable with magic, and it is hard to keep them calm when you do magical things in front of them. Do you understand?"

Dobby nodded so fast his ears flapped, "Dobby do."

Petunia smiled, "Now, off you all go now. The earlier you are, the better seats you will get. And don't forget to feed him, Hagrid, we do not want him eating your centaur friends now do we?"

Hagrig laughed, and nodded, "Tha's right. Well, we should be off. Train is supposed to leave at eleven, and we only have three hours to get there. Brunch at nine, righ?" Both Petunia and Harry nodded, "Righ' then, off we go." Hagrid lifted Harry's heavy trunk like it was much lighter than it was.

As Hagrid and Harry walked towards the bus stop, Hagrid quietly asked, "Abou' those feelin's ye get. Have any of 'em for today?"

Harry shook his head, "No, sorry. I do not get them often, and when I do they seem fuzzy, almost as if the memories weren't in their right mind."

Hagrid paused, then asked, "'Ow do you mean? Like the memories were drinkin' an' stuff?"

Harry looked around, then whispered, "Like the person making the memories had too many recreational potions."

Hagrid stood straighter, "And how woul' ye know about thin's like tha'?"

Harry waved his hands, "I saw some kids at school that did something similar. They could not keep two thoughts in their head. The memories, feelings, were just like that. Just very vague and not very helpful."

Hagrid stared Harry in the eyes, then nodded. "All righ' I believe yeh. But no doin' that yerself, ye hear me? Yer famous now, an' ye don't want people to go thinkin' things like tha' about yeh, all righ'?"

Harry nodded quickly, "All right all right, I won't do anything like that. I pro.." Hagrid's hand gently slapped over Harry's mouth. Hagrid shook his head, and Harry asked, "I...shouldn't make promises?"

Hagrid nodded, "Righ'. If ye make a promise like tha', an' someone gives the stuff to yeh, then ye'll owe a debt, an' it weren't yer fault. Better to not promise at all if yeh kin' avoid it."

Harry nodded solemnly, "Right. Well. Then. I'll do my best?"

Hagrid nodded, "Tha' I'll accept from ye. 'Ere. I want ta show ye somethin' interestin'." Hagrid held out his hand, umbrella firmly in it, pointing with his fist towards the road. Seconds later, a loud BANG is heard, and a purple triple decker bus shows up out of thin air.

A man in an equally purple suit stepped out, saying, "_Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this morning._"

Hagrid grinned and said, "We're headin' to king's cross, this one's goin' off to Hogwarts."

Stan grinned, "Hogwarts, are you? Well welcome aboard._ Eleven Sickles each," said Stan, "but for firteen you get 'ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an 'ot water bottle an' a toofbrush in the color of your choice_."

Hagrid counted out thirty Sickles, and said "I don' have the green one yet." Stan nodded and gave Hagrid his hot water bottle and toothbrush.

Harry grinned, "Green for me too please." Stan grinned and gave him the bottle and brush.

"Take a seat, we're leaving now."

Hagrid kept quiet, and Harry copied him, sitting in a pair of armchairs halfway down the aisle. Several bone jarring stops later, Stan called out, "King's cross, mind your step now." Hagrid and Harry both hurried off the bus, which disappeared with a BANG shortly after.

"That was…" Harry groped for words, waving his hands around.

"Convenient?" Supplied Hagrid, grinning.

Harry grinned back, and replied, "Brilliant."

Hagrid nodded, "Well then. Let's get ye to the train."

Hagrid helped Harry into the train, and pointed out, "First car is supposed to be for prefects. Don't go there unless yer one. Second car ten's to be stolen by Slytherins, and they don't like firsties. Third car and on is fer everyone else. By the way, when's yer hair gon'a change?"

Harry flinched at the non-sequitur, then replied, "It usually changes at about ten."

Hagrid nodded, "Righ' then. Keep yer head covered until after the change. If it's an odd colour like blue or green, just say yer rootin' for a certain house."

Harry asked, "How did you know about my hair?"

Hagrid pointed at Harry's hair, "First, the hair." he pointed at Harry's trunk, still in his hand, "Second the books the mediwitch gave ye." And he looked Harry in the eye, "And third, ye flinched. Don't flinch if someone asks. If they DO ask, yer' a metamorphmagus, an' it only works on yer hair, an' ye can't control it. Got it?" Harry slowly nodded, "Good. Let's find yeh a seat."

Harry finally settled for a car in the middle of the train, with books overhead, and trunk storage under the seats. Hagrid stowed Harry's trunk, then said, "Well, I'll see yeh at the other end. Yeh take care now, all righ'?"

Harry quickly asked, "Why do you need to leave so soon? Can't we talk?"

Hagrid shook his head, "Nah, I've got some people to meet before long, and ye'll have some ravens in 'ere shortly to talk to. Jus' keep yer head down fer now."

Harry nodded, and then put on his school robe, pulling up the hood so that he could hide his head and hair.

Shortly before nine, Hagrid popped into the car again, handed Harry all three bags of food, saying, "Don't eat it all right now, save some fer the trip. We'll not get to the other end fer at least four hours." Harry nodded, then opened one of the bags. Inside was a sandwich, made of a whole loaf of what looked like French baguette. Inside the sandwich were meats, some harry could smell was fire roasted chicken and ham, but some he didn't perfectly recognize, and the greens looked like they were all from Hagrid's home garden, they were so fresh. Harry bit into the food, savouring every bite.

By the time he finished eating the sandwich, Harry noticed that three other people had piled into the room, two girls, and one boy, all of them older than him, and all of them talking about something that sounded almost like it was from his book of enchanting. Unfortunately, all of what they were talking about was well beyond Harry's knowledge level, so he just sat quietly, listening.

Shortly before eleven, a troupe of redheads came rushing into the station, and quickly boarded the train. The mother of the bunch, obviously distraught, was heard yelling, "Bloody muggles, probably didn't bring him!" With a chorus of goodbyes, all of the boys hopped onto the train, leaving the mother and daughter behind.

"Hey firsty, isn't it hot with your head up like that?" A male voice came from beside him. Harry turned as the two girls in the compartment giggled.

Harry shrugged, "I didn't want anyone to laugh at my hair."

"Oh? Why is that?" The boy asked, curious.

Harry pulled down his hood, and a lock of hair fell in front of his eyes. The shock blue colour surprised even himself. "I was kind of rooting for a house and…"

The two girls cheered quietly, and the boy nodded, "Well, we won't tolerate that. Ravens unite, right?" the boy held out his hand for Harry.

Harry grinned, replying, "Ravens unite."

The boy grinned, "My name's Rick MacDonald. No relation to the fast food chain." the two girls snickered, "The lovely ladies over there are Anna Arendelle," The shorter of the two girls waved, "And Elsa Arendelle." The taller of the girls waved, "We are all in Ravenclaw. What's your name, and where do you hope to go?"

Harry blinked slowly, then replied, "My name is Harry. While I would love to go to Ravenclaw, I do not know if I will go there. All of my family was Gryffindor you see,"

Elsa nodded, "And while desire can go one way, sometimes blood will trump desire. What's your last name, Harry?"

Harry shrugged, "I would prefer not to say. Chances are you'd treat me differently, and I don't want that."

Anna peered at Harry, "You wouldn't happen to be famous, would you?"

Harry blushed and shook his head, "My mother should be famous. Not me."

Elsa grinned, "Very well then. Welcome to our room, Harry with the famous mother. Good luck getting the House you desire."

Harry grinned, "Thank you. Thank you very much."

All three laughed, pointing at Harry and shouting, "Elvis!"

The four then started talking about first year material that Harry would be learning, only to be interrupted for a short bit with Hermione, who Harry remembered from Diagon Alley, and a shorter stocky kid, asking for help finding a toad. Harry's memories niggled at him, but he couldn't remember anything. They then continued talking for the rest of the train ride, pausing only to eat sweets (for the three Ravens) and packed lunches (for Harry).

The train finally pulled to a stop several hours later, and Harry's stomach was growling fiercely. "My you eat a lot," Rick commented.

Harry nodded, "I have a condition, makes me need to eat more than most."

Elsa snarked, "And yet you have such a lovely girlish figure!"

Harry laughed, "Yes, and when you can eat seven meals a day and stay this thin, then you can complain too!"

Harry and the three Ravenclaws stepped out of the compartment into a throng of students. Everyone slowly filed out of the train, leaving all their baggage behind.

_People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"_

_Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads._

_"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"_

_Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice._

_"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."_

_There was a loud "Oooooh!"_

_The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers._

_"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry was followed into his boat by Neville, Hermione, and the redheaded boy that Harry hadn't been (re)introduced to yet.. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"_

_And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood._

_"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle._

_They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door._

"Everyone here? Anyone lost anything?" when everyone replied affirmative and negative, _Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door._


	6. Impressions

Chapter 6

Impressions

Harry didn't pay attention to Hagrid's almost ritualistic conversation with the female in the door. Harry wracked his memory, and could not remember her for the life of him. Tall, not as tall as Mister Hagrid, but still almost six feet tall. Grey hair, up in a tight bun, barely seeing the bun underneath her wide brimmed hat. Very stern face, even with the smile she gave to the children as she ushered them into the great hall. Harry could hear a girl in the background commenting on the ceiling, and the words niggled at his memory, but again he couldn't remember.

Harry's first thought when he actually entered the great hall, was _too many_. There were too many people. The hall was bigger than a football field, even without the huge goal nets. there were four long tables, and children and teenagers were packed in some cases along their length. there surely would not be room for all the firsties. Harry took a quick glance, and again got the feeling of _too many_ when he saw how many firsties there were. He remembered, vaguely, about forty. But there was closer to half again that number, if not more. Along the walls between the suits of armour were more children. All with, when they had robes, all four main colours sewn into their robes. Rather than blue-and-bronze, green-and-silver, red-and-gold, or yellow-and-black, instead they had red-yellow-green-blue. His eyes wanted to drift past the children and teens at the wall, but not outrageously so.

So surprised was Harry, that he realized he missed the song from the hat in front of him when he heard the woman from earlier call out "Abbott, Hannah"

Name after name was called, Harry's eyes were glazing from hunger when he finally noticed that his turn was soon. "MacHinery, Fiona" went to Ravenclaw, "Malfoy, Draco" went to Slytherin, then a set of quadruplets, which left Harry staring, all with the last name "O'Blenis" with two going to Hufflepuff, one to Ravenclaw, and one, with a male name, "Philip" going to Gryffindor. Then came more naggingly familiar names, like "Parkinson" (slytherin) "Patil" ravenclaw and Gryffindor, then finally.

"Potter, Harry" The woman called out. Harry strode forward, thoughts and questions in his mind, when he placed the hat on his own head.

"My, this is refreshing," The hat had a gravelly voice that rippled through Harry's mind, "The first ever squib coming to Hogwarts. And a paradox newblood too. How ever did you get a wand to respond to you?"

"Phoenix feather wand," Harry replied mentally, "Most of the wands didn't like me, but this one did,"

The hat replied, "Even then, your squibbing core should have blocked even a phoenix feather wand from working. Or at least it should have eaten so much magic that you couldn't do any accidental magic. That being how the school chooses students, of course."

Harry thought, "I think...I didn't have a squibbing core before. And I kind of...made something that does use that core. With the core being pulled to that thing, my wand works fine."

"How marvelous! Did you research to do this or?" The hat seemed overly interested.

Harry mentally shook his head, "No. I think it was an accident in focus. I don't think I even had a squibbing core before I made this."

The hat had an almost grin in its voice, "Creating both the solution and the problem at the same time. How very Ravenclaw of you. Then again, I see more depths to yourself. Unafraid of working hard to get things done. Even to the point of putting yourself in danger. Very much a Hufflepuff attitude, that is."

Harry nodded, "Both fine and noble houses, often underestimated."

The hat mused, "But even with those fine strengths, I feel such anger from you. Not hatred, which seems to be against the rules of this religion you practice, but anger at injustice. A righteous anger this is. A desire to fix that which can not be easily fixed. Very Gryffindor of you for that. And yet, the plans, the ambition. Even with everything set against you, you aspire to fix it all, or die trying. Possibly even take things down at the knees for these injustices you perceive. Very...Slytherin. You, my dear, would fit in every House, although not all equally."

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

The hat's voice had an audible grin as the hat replied, "Why, this ambition is so pure, it overshadows everything, even those strengths you pride."

"No!" Harry growled, "Not Slytherin. While friends that place may give me, I will be fighting an uphill battle. ANYWHERE but Slytherin."

"But there are those in Slytherin that would help you, who would see your path as pure and right." The hat wheedled.

"Again, no. I can accept friends from there. From what I remember," Harry paused.

The hat's audible grin was even more prominent, "Exactly. You've been through here before, though you don't remember it. They really worked you over that time, didn't they? I'm surprised you even remember enough to have feelings, vague though they be."

Harry looked around furtively, noting that he couldn't hear anything out loud, "Wait,"

The hat audibly frowned, "Worry not, Mister Potter. This is all in your head, which you forgot for a second. The problem with NOT being in Slytherin, you see, is that all other Houses have group rooms. In Slytherin they have personal rooms, that you can have privacy when you need."

Harry shook his head, "Even then. I can hide as long as I need. I know who to watch."

The hat grimaced, "Yes, but you don't really see. If you accept the debt owed, then the buildup of imbalance would stop, which would not keep the person who cast that spell on you from getting REAL debt over you. It was the imbalance itself that caused him to create more imbalance. If you had finished reading the book you would know this. The imbalance you need to stop the curse would be enough to seriously cause problems."

Harry sighed, "I think I have time. That memory...I had wives. I had children. That can't happen in school, so…"

The hat replied, "You can have wives as early as fifteen. I don't think you have as much time as you think. And the spell itself causes fate imbalances as well. Things that you remember...wait, you don't really remember, do you? Then you will be just as surprised as everyone else. Well, since you've thought everything through, better be GRYFFINDOR!"

The last word was shouted out loud by the hat, and a lot of people started cheering, including a pair of red-headed twins at the Gryffindor table itself, who sang, "We got Potter, we got Potter!"

Harry quickly pulled the hat off, and set it on the stool, before walking over to the table draped in red. He found empty seats close to the front, where the professors were sitting. Harry quickly sat down, facing away from the firsties getting sorted.

* * *

"Dobby," Aunt Petunia called out.

Dobby came downstairs, asking, "What Missy Tuney needs?" He had a pair of gloves on, ill-fitting though they be, and an old shirt of Dudley's that he had taken in to be almost a robe on himself.

"Before you leave, Dobby, I want to ask you some questions."

Dobby nodded, "Dobby answers quessy shuns."

Aunt Petunia shook her head, "Dobby, how did you come to be working for Harry? I didn't think Harry could afford your services."

Dobby shook his head, "Dobby was birthyday gift from last year. Dobby wanted to give Harry Potter Sir something because Harry Potter Sir saveded evvyone. But Dobby no has anything to give but self. So Dobby asked Missy Bones to give Dobby to Harry Potter Sir, then Harry Potter Sir is now Master Harry. Dobby working for silvers right now because Master Harry no has enough magics."

Aunt Petunia cocked her head, and queried, "When was this? Harry never received any letters about gifts like you. How did he get you?"

Dobby shook his head, "Dobby no knows. Dobby was gived last year. Dobby sold off six months later because Dobby no was claimed."

Petunia mused, "Well, if you were given last year, what are the chances of gifts being given to Harry this year?"

Dobby paused, then smacked himself, "Bad Dobby! Dobby should have be got gifts from govvy mint. Dobby no can do now because Dobby not working for Master Harry right now."

Petunia nodded, "I see. Maybe that is something you should bring up with Harry. When should you be heading over to the school again?"

Dobby looked at the clock, "Master Harry sorted now, maybe half hour?"

Aunt Petunia nodded, "Well then. I made some treacle tarts, you can bring him some with his dinner then."

Dobby nodded enthusiastically, "Dobby do!"

* * *

With a final cry of SLYTHERIN, Zabini, Blaise was finally sorted, and Gandal...I mean, Dumbledore gave his speech about safety and rules, but something niggled again at the end. Four words Harry...kind of remembered. But instead he heard something else.

Looking to the children lining the walls, Dumbledore spoke again, "All of the regular students can not see you, nor hear you. Please do be careful in the hallways heading to class, as rushing students will run into you and not even apologize for it. I apologize in advance for any accidental injuries. Again, Professor Snape does NOT have permission to turn you into potions ingredients, no matter what he might say, and those who finish their OWLs may choose to stay for further education provided they can afford tuition."

Harry shook his head, and looked around. The only response different from everyone's clapping came from down the table some, another of the first years asked, "Oi... So, I'm nae up on my wizardin' hierarchy as such but... do they assign rank an' status based on degree o' insanity er somethin'?" the girl in question had shock red hair, and seemed to be wearing something long under her cloak. Harry couldn't see what it was from his angle, too many other children in the way.

Several of the other first years giggled, while the older students just looked shocked. Harry noticed that several of the students lining the walls looked furious. Those that were in earshot anyways. Another red-head, older though, curtly replied, "Well, if that was the case, then we could put your name up for minister for magic any day now. Dumbledore is a genius! The best wizard in the world! But yes, he is a bit mad. Would you like some potatoes?"

"I'm Irish, we have different standards o' 'sane'. And aye, gimmie!" She reached for the platter, then glanced at Harry plate and scowled. "How did ye get a full plate so quick? Ye got an 'in' wit' th' kitchen staff already? Fast work!" She took her serving of potatoes then wrinkled her nose as she noticed the fish. "Ugh. Fish. Mebbe nae as good an 'in' as I thought. Still, impressive!" She wiped her hand on her robe and offered it. "Isilme Rihan Turuphant, at yer service."

Harry blinked, and took the offered hand, "Harry Potter, likewise. And I need to eat specific foods, physician's orders. It isn't fish all the time, but it is nice when I do get it." Harry gazed upon the table, seeing platters filled with huge amounts of food. On his plate, different from everyone else's, there was also some of the plimpy that Dobby had grilled up the day before, as well as a pair of treacle tarts that had a "from Aunt" note nestled between them. Harry grinned, added some potatoes and chicken to his plate, before digging in.

Another of the first years, also red hair, spoke up, "Wait, you're Harry Potter? Do you have the scar? Our family Looked for you outside the train station. We thought for sure that you'd missed the train. We did get a couple others that couldn't find the train in though, so it's not like we didn't help any. Ron Weasley, by the way, pleasure to meet you!"

Harry blinked, swallowed the food in his mouth, and then calmly replied, "I used to have a scar, but it faded a long time ago." He lifted the fringe of his hair, showing the almost invisible line, "Of course I'm Harry Potter. I'd know if I were someone else, wouldn't I? People couldn't find the train? Does that happen often?" Harry looked around, and noted a few students nodding, even ones along the walls. Harry noted that the students at the walls had individual or group tables, and were also served their own platters and plates.

Hermione, just down the table from Ron, mentioned, "Well, all the books I've read say that Harry Potter has dark brown hair, and that he has a scar. Did you dye your hair for some reason?"

Harry grinned and nodded, "Yeah, I was rooting for Ravenclaw!" then started to eat again, hoping to head off further questions. Down the table, two older girls and a boy burst into giggles at Harry's comment, with the boy mentioning, 'Isn't he a bit young for that?'

As he took another bite of fish, Harry felt a tingle in his scalp. He pulled a lock of hair forward, and found it back to being brown again. "Wicked!" He heard Ron from beside him, "What spell did you use?"

Harry coughed, finally finished swallowing, and replied, "Would you please wait until I'm done with the food in my mouth? And to be honest, I'm a limited metamorphmagus. It only works on my hair, and I don't have complete control of it." Harry glared at Ron, causing him to wilt for a second, before apologizing.

"You know," Said the older red-head, "I feel I should come to my brother's defense. Percy, by the way. He isn't usually so insensitive, I think it's just the excitement of coming to Hogwarts for the first time. Also, to your question, yes it is frequent that muggleborn students have a hard time finding the train for the first time. Some of them actually try the wall between platforms nine and ten. Having it between nine and eight actually confuses people. Mother told us that since we are always the last ones there, we should help those stuck on the wrong side of the barrier."

Harry nodded, "It's very kind of you and your family to do that." He again started eating, taking distinct pleasure in his aunt's fresh baked tarts.

Percy grinned, "Everyone is entitled to a good education, it would be a shame to miss out because of a simple mistake."

Harry stopped paying attention to the chatter, deciding instead to focus on the food in front of himself. Quickly, although not silently, everyone eventually finished eating.

As everyone started leaving for their dorms, Professor McGonagall stepped up to the Gryffindor table. "Miss Turuphant," She called out, "While students can bring many things from home, weaponry is not one of them. Your sword, please."

Isilme blanched, suddenly looking trapped. "Err... I dinnae know what yer talking about, Professor. I'd never bring ANYTHING that could be a weapon! This is jus' a prop... a family heirloom..." Her hand dropped protectively to the hidden shape under her robe. "It helps me wi' me magic." She said in a lower voice. "Please dinnae take it."

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow, "Well, if it just a prop, then surely you could show us that it isn't dangerous?" Her tone, however, made it very much an order, rather than merely a request.

Isilme blushed and moves her robe aside and slowly drew the sword, wincing a bit at the very sharp-sounding *schiiiiing* the blade made as it cleared the metal scabbard. She held out the blade - It was old and tarnished and worn, but well-made, with ornate etching along the blade. She lay it across her lap, and looking up at McGonagall slapped her palm down onto the edge of the blade hard without so much as a flinch. She then lifted her hand, and showed her undamaged palm. "See? About as sharp as a loaf o' bread."

Professor McGonagall nodded, "Very well then. If I find you using it on other students, no matter how dull, it will be confiscated. Understood?"

Isilme nodded sharply "Aye, o'course Professor. 'E stays in his sheath."

Professor McGonagall nodded again, then waved her on, "Off with you. They should be showing you around the castle shortly, and you wouldn't want to miss that." True to the professor's words, the prefects, of which Percy was one, were rounding up all of the newly sorted students.

Harry paid close attention as they were shown around the school. Where the potions class was, down underground. The greenhouse, the astronomy tower, charms classroom. Harry also noted that there were several classrooms where everyone walked right past and didn't say anything. When Harry poked his head in one, he noted several of the four-colour robe students studying or talking together. He quickly pulled back before anyone in the room noticed, and noted that the rest of the group didn't even notice him slipping away.

Eventually they arrived at the Gryffindor dorms, were shown the current password. "Caput Draconis" Everyone was shown the dorm stairways, with admonishment that boys were not allowed in the girls' dorms. Harry did note that while first years were to be on the first floor, everyone else skipped the first door on their way up.

* * *

The next morning, Harry was the first awake, first due to his eating habits, and second when he tried to go back to sleep by the snoring in the room. Graceful Ron Weasley was sprawled on his bed, front down, and snoring away. Harry crept away from the noise, tended to his morning ablutions, and then crept downstairs. "Dobby?" he whispered.

Dobby appeared silently, "Dobby here." Dobby was his normal bouncy self, the robe he had for himself had the Hogwarts logo embroidered into it. "Master Harry needs breakfast? Most other elveses are cleaning classrooms right now. They start cooking in two hour. Dobby can get fresh bread, fruit, and some eggs quick."

Harry grinned and hugged the elf, "Yes thank you, Dobby. Did you even sleep?"

Dobby nodded, "Dobby had four sleepy hours. Will get four more when you in classes after lunch."

Harry frowned, "That can't be good for you. Shouldn't you get eight hours in a row like regular people?"

Dobby shook his head, "No. Elveses always had two short sleeps. Gramma ma told of time of sun and leaves. Dance from moonrise to moon-high, then sleep, then again dance sunrise to sun high, then sleep. Dobby wishes that old dance was not only dance of blades."

Harry nodded, "I agree. Maybe if it weren't for that then we could have lived in peace."

Dobby twitched, then lowered his head, "Dobby doubts that. Dobby go get food, then we talk while you eats." Dobby popped away, returning a few short minutes later with the promised food. Harry started eating, and Dobby resumed, "Gramma ma say long time ago, Elveses lost ability to love. Tried long time make peace with world, but fight fight fight all time. Giants no stop fight. Shapeshifters no stop fight. Fight been going on forever. No one know when fight started. Is because of laws of land, and rules of debt, and fight started with one. One throw first stone, then reply, and then more and more until wizards. Elveses found humans, long time gone. Live short lives, easy kill. Killed humans when found, because thought they were part of forever fight. Then wizard called in all debt. Ended forever fight for first time. Wizard came from land between. Called self Myrddin. Bound elveses to wizards to end fight. Giants almost gone by then. Shapeshifters only had half-bloods left. Blood kin down to few powerful ones left. Elveses also most gone. Wizard stopped forever fight, but Dobby no knows if soon enough to save magics."

By the end of Dobby's lengthy explanation, Harry had finished eating the meal. Harry then cleared his throat and asked "The land between? Was he from a different world?"

Dobby shrugged, "Dobby no know. Gramma ma think was island in middle of ocean. Say Myrddin tasted of demon and dragon and shapeshifter and giant. Maybe in land between there peace. Wizard now also taste of much magic. Less big, but no less type. Wizards find way of magic. Maybe even way to keep magic alive. Dobby hopes."

Harry blinked, then asked, "Magic is dying? How do you mean? It seems strong to me."

Dobby nodded, "Magic strong, but magic less than before. Elveses call it magic death. Wizards call it squibbing. Is less access to free magic. Is tight and controlled. You has, but maybe not affects you?"

Harry shook his head, "I don't know. What is the difference between free magic and controlled?"

Dobby nods, "Is strong. Short happening easier with controlled. Last long long easier with free."

Harry pounced on Dobby's words, "You said easier, which means it is still possible. Maybe it requires a certain type of focus? The more ordered your focus the better controlled magic works?"

Dobby blinked, "Dobby…no know. Will need try. Maybe why much magics make mentals harder."

Harry nodded, "Well, I need to start getting ready for classes today. Do we need to talk about anything else before?"

Dobby nodded, "Dobby almost forget! Master Harry no picked up gifts from storage yet. Dobby no can while working for school. Maybe Dobby gives clothes back on weekend? Master Harry maybe has enough magics."

Harry shook his head, "We will have to see how much I have then. I still need to talk with Master Yoda, and that usually uses a lot of my strength."

Dobby nodded, "Dobby agree. We see on weekend. Maybe next weekend after."

Harry grinned, then quietly climbed back up the stairs to the dorms.

* * *

For such a small castle on the outside, Harry was rather amused that there were so many stairs on the inside. One hundred seventy two sets of stairs. Harry wasn't sure he miscounted some of them, because they moved around sometimes. Then there were the doors that were just walls pretending, and hallways that went different directions depending on what day it was. Some rooms, like the Charms classroom, were easily accessible on the first floor, while others could only be accessed at night, on wednesday, and only through a passage on the eighth floor that could only be accessed from the _third_ floor. Like the astronomy class.

Most of Harry's first classes were memorable, if in different ways.

In Charms class, Professor Flitwick first fell off his chair when he reached Harry's name, when calling the rolls. The man was very enthusiastic about his teaching, and while he gave instructions, he seemed excessively pleased when people asked questions. Harry was rather bemused when the teacher then set homework to research the answers to those questions. Hermione, rather than shooting her hand up to _answer_ questions, now seemed to sit back and think, and then asked a few pointed questions herself. Like what the difference was between a swish, a flick, and a swirl (Very basic questions, four inches, diagrams are allowed, please try to have it to me by next week.) and what difference types or even shapes of wands made in the spell casting process. (Oh, nice question Miss Granger! Five points to Gryffindor, and please have at least twelve inches for me by the end of the year. I suggest researching wand making in the library, if you need a pass let me know. Please also be prepared to present your findings, we will all be curious as to your results.)

Transfiguration class was one of those classrooms that required different ways to access it on different days. Which made Harry, Ron, and Isilme late on their first morning. They ran into the room. At first they thought they were on time, as there was only a cat at the front of the class, but no teacher. Then when Professor McGonagall revealed her animagus form, everyone who was late either went white (Ron) or blushed furiously. (Isilme and Harry)

In class, they were to learn today how to change a matchstick into a needle. Hermione was the first to get any progress, and by the end of the class her matchstick was silvery and pointy. Yet Isilme's matchstick was the only one not changed at all.

"What is the problem, Miss Turuphant? Are you having problems visualizing the needle?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I'm nae a seamstress. When I think o' sharp stabby things, I think o' SWORDS, nae somethin' t' darn socks wit... 'ang on..." She concentrated a tried again, waving her wand over the matchstick and muttering the spell.

Professor McGonagall murmured, "Well, a needle would make a fine sword for a mouse, wouldn't you say?" As Isilme concentrated on the spell, the needle in front of her shifted, first silvery, then sharp...then it developed a quillion and handle. Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at the student, "Excellent transfiguration. But again, we were trying for needles."

Isilme picked up the tiny sword, scowled at it, then looked McGonnigal in the eye as she stuck it in her pincushion. "Fancy needle." She said simply, and proceeded to the next matchstick.

History of magic was incredibly boring, even when he asked questions trying to get more information. (Why did the goblin war of 1812 happen? We don't know Mister Potter. All we know is that it was short, brutal, and led to many deaths on both sides.) Harry decided that if he couldn't get more out of the class he just might be using this class to catch up on other classes. Beside him, Ron was already asleep, and Hermione was reading along in the book, although Harry was sure she had another book on top of the history book.

Defense against Dark Arts, Harry didn't know what he was expecting. Professor Quirrell had a stuttering problem, but seemed to know his material. Imparting the knowledge, however, was a task, as mentioning monsters names sometimes set him into a stutter so bad no-one could understand him. His writing, however, was free of stuttering, thank goodness.

Herbology, in Harry's opinion, was a class that tested both patience and nerve. The amount of dangerous flora in the wizarding world almost rivalled the dangerous fauna. Even more so, now that Harry had heard a bit of the history of magical creatures. Harry resolved to ask Professor Binns next week about how house-elves came to be, to see if he could get more information on that.

Friday morning, Harry's owl, Hedwig, flew in with a letter for him. Harry grinned as he read the message.

"Oi, what's that about?" Ron asked, food spattering out of his mouth.

"Ew! Ron! Swallow before talking please! We don't want to get your food in our faces." Ron swallowed, and mumbled an apology, "Mister Hagrid invited me to visit him after potions today."

Ron nodded, "Hagrid, that's the groundskeeper right? What did he want to talk with you about?"

Harry smiled and shrugged, "I don't rightly know. He's specifically inviting me for tea and biscuits, so maybe just a visit. He's very nice, and smart too."

Ron snorted, "Right. A man that large, working as a groundskeeper? He's probably as smart as a horse."

"Actually," Hermione piped up, "Horses are very smart. They will smell danger and run away long before a human would get a hint of a problem."

Ron snarled, "Who asked you then?"

"Well, I never," Hermione huffed. She picked up her books from beside her, and ran out of the Great Hall.

"Seriously, girl doesn't know when to not butt in," Ron grumbled, then resumed eating the food in front of him.

Harry glared at Ron, "You know, with an attitude like that, you'll never have any friends. Maybe you should shape up some, be more polite."

Ron swallowed, then growled, "Why should I be polite to her? She deserved it, butting into our conversation."

Harry raised an eyebrow, then turned away, "I'm going to class."

Ron blinked, then asked, "What did I say?"

Harry wasn't the last person into the potions classroom, that title was reserved for Ron. But he did get in early enough to make sure he wasn't sitting alone. Rather than try to butt in to sit with Hermione (who was sitting with Neville, the lucky guy) Harry instead sat beside a girl wearing a green trimmed robe. He introduced himself to her, and got the curt reply of "Greengrass," in reply. Harry nodded politely, and sat paying attention to the front of the class.

A minute late, Ron ran into the class, and was forced to sit with another Slytherin. Ron shot glares at Harry, for daring to sit with a 'Slimy Slytherin'.

As with Professor Flitwick, Professor Snape also started the class by calling the rolls. When he got to Harry's name, he sneered, _"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."_

_Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels._

_"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had y caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."_

_More silence followed this little speech. Harry looked over at his partner, who failed to return the look. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead._

_"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"_

Harry blinked, then opened his potions book, looking through it.

"What are you doing, Potter?" Professor Snape snarled.

Harry kept searching through his book, "Trying to find the answer to your question, sir. I don't want to give a wrong answer."

Snape growled, "Then why are you looking in that book? The answer is in the other assigned book." He studiously ignored Hermione's raised hand.

Harry looked up and replied, "This is the only assigned book, sir. Only Magical Drafts and Potions. No other potions books in the list."

Snape tapped his foot, "I presume you have proof of your allegations?"

Harry nodded, then flipped to the back of the book, "I bring the book list to all my classes, to make sure I've got the right books. Here you go sir."

Snape snapped up the sheet of parchment, reading through it. He then paused, looked angry, and read through it a second time. "The book that should be in this list, but is not, is 'From Apprenticeship to Mastery, Tricks of the Potioning Trade' by Emrys Myrddin. If you are serious about potions, it is an absolute must for your library. Does ANYONE have this book?"

All of the Slytherin students, as well as Hermione raised their hands. Snape raised an eyebrow, then looked at Harry, "I apologize for this oversight. I will find out what happened, then we will continue the class. Those of you who have this book, please share with those who do not. Read the first chapter, while I investigate."

Harry's desk-mate muttered, "My father insisted I bring and read the book. Now I see why. Here, we'll read together while we wait."

Snape slammed into Professor McGonagall's classroom, "I need to speak with you. Immediately."

McGonagall shook her head, "I am in the middle of class, Professor. Why can this not wait?"

Snape snarled, "A potions book that I specifically put in the list has been omitted from the book list going out to students. I need to know how long this has been going on, and why."

McGonagall nodded, "Ah, you are referring to Emrys' book? The school board of directors declared that the book is too expensive and should not be going to mere students. They have vetoed that book from the list since you started working here, if I recall correctly."

Snape growled, "We shall see about that. I have been teaching my classes based upon knowledge of that book. With no-one having it, no wonder I've had so many dunderheads. Mipsy!"

A harried looking house-elf appeared, wearing a tea-cosy. "Professy Snapey calls Mipsy?"

Snape nodded, "Yes Mipsy. I have a Quest for you."

Mipsy immediately stood to attention, "Mipsy accepts Quest!"

Snape nodded, "I need you to find out which students do not have the book called 'From Apprenticeship to Mastery, Tricks of the Potioning Trade' by Emrys Myrddin. I need a copy given to each student here in school who does not have this book. Take what money you need from my vaults, and if more is needed I'm sure we can get the school to cover the remainder." He raised an eyebrow at McGonagall.

McGonagall nodded, "Absolutely. And we will need receipts please, Mipsy, signed by each student. Professor Snape will be reimbursed, of course."

Mipsy nodded seriously, "Mipsy agrees. Mipsy has time limit?"

Snape nodded, "Everyone needs the books before the end of the month at least, but sooner is better of course."

Mipsy nodded, then disappeared with a quiet pop.

Snape growled, "Now, because of this oversight, I will need to go over previous years. Hopefully we can recover from this atrocity."

McGonagall nodded, "Agreed. Now, you have your class, and I have mine. Good day."

Snape nodded, "Good day." and then strode out of the room, his cloak billowing behind him.

During Snape's absence, Ron started being snarky with his Slytherin neighbour, and nearly started a fight. Although Ron losing a screaming match to Pansy Parkinson was rather hilarious, if Harry did say so himself. Harry was polite to his neighbour, and ignored any snide remarks that came his way. Harry was intrigued about the reasons for the timing of ingredients, and why it was a good idea to alternate stirring directions every so many stirs.

Snape strode back into the classroom, stating, "That has now been dealt with. You should all be receiving the missing books within the month, I expect you to share until you have that book. Now, rather than starting your potion today, we will instead each read out loud from this book. Even if you do not read the rest of the book, you should memorize the first chapter, on safety, for your duration here in Hogwarts. Miss Granger. Five points for being enthusiastic about learning a demanding subject."

* * *

Omakes!

* * *

Chapter 6: the conversation with McGonagall went a little differently….

As everyone started leaving for their dorms, Professor McGonagall stepped up to the Gryffindor table. "Miss Turuphant," She called out, "While students can bring many things from home, weaponry is not one of them. Your sword, please."

Izzy blanched, suddenly looking trapped. "Err... I dinnae know what yer talking about, Professor. I'd never bring ANYTHING that could be a weapon! This is jus' a prop... a family heirloom..." Her hand dropped protectively to the hidden shape under her robe. "It helps me wi' me magic." She said in a lower voice. "Please dinnae take it."

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow, "Well, if it just a prop, then surely you could show us that it isn't dangerous?" Her tone, however, made it very much an order, rather than merely a request.

Izzy blushed and moves her robe aside and slowly drew the sword, wincing a bit at the very sharp-sounding *schiiiiing* the blade made as it cleared the metal scabbard. She held out the blade - It was old and tarnished and worn, but well-made, with ornate etching along the blade. She lay it across her lap, and looking up at McGonagall slapped her palm down onto the edge of the blade hard without so much as a flinch. She then lifted her hand, and showed her undamaged palm. "See? About as sharp as a loaf o' bread."

Professor McGonagall nodded, "Very well then. If I find you using it on other students, no matter how dull, it will be confiscated. Understood?"

Izzy nodded sharply "Aye, o'course Professor. 'E stays in his sheath."

Professor McGonagall nodded, "Very well then."

Izzy sat down, sighed in relief and picked up her fork. She noticed the looks the rest of the table were giving her and scowled. "'Ey now, don't go thinkin' yer safe jus' because I agreed t'keep me steel under wraps." She levelled her fork at them and gave them an exaggerated glare. "I know more'n fifteen ways t'kill a man with this 'ere fork!" She then deftly reversed it and popped the carrot on the end of it into her mouth and chewed. "More if'n I c'n get me hands on a spork. Sporks are deadly weapons in th' right hands."

Professor McGonagall coughed from behind Isilme, "I heard that, miss Turuphant."

"Then yer fortunate I nae have a spork!"

* * *

Omake 2: Before transfiguration.

Ron and Harry were busy eating, even though everyone else had already left for class. Isilme also stayed behind, mostly to cast friendly pokes at Harry. "When ye said ye needed diff'rent foods, I didnae ken ye meant tha' t'mean ALL o' the foods!"

Harry coughed, swallowed, and replied, "When eat as much you do, then keeping this girlish figure you shall admire."

"Aye, aye, jus... how MANY girls are we talkin' about?"

Harry waved airily, "Just one for now. Maybe two or three later, depending on who applies for the position."

*Snorts in her orange juice* "*Cough* I think we're suddenly havin' diff'rent conversations. Oi... An' I'd best not catch ye tryin' t'play this 'boy who lived' thing inta yer own harem. If yer gonna asociate wit' me I intend t'hold ye to a higher standard. Earn yer harems fairly!"

Harry finished the last of the food on his plate, "And what would you consider fair? Beating them in a duel? Or maybe challenging their boyfriends over them?" Harry smirked, "Because if the latter, I'll remember to not challenge Sephy for you then."

She scowled "Dinnae bring tha' hair product model inta this. Besides, ye c'n never truly defeat 'im until ye destroy the magical conditioner tha's th' source o' 'is power."

Ron scowled as well, "I think we're going to be late to class if we don't run. And what ARE you two talking about? I can't keep up with you!"

Isilme gave Ron a critical look, particularly his messy red mop. "Somethin' ye need. Desperately. An' I'm nae referrin' t'the harem. Now c'mon! If the professor gets all casty o'er this I'm hidin' behind you two!"


	7. Revelations

Author's notes:

Apparently some people have mentioned to me that they don't like reading things that aren't part of the story that are injected into it. Like the omakes I have at the end the last few chapters.

Just so you all know, ALL my omakes are in-story canon, they were just pulled out because they broke the flow.

Anyways, Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7

Revelations

"Good afternoon, 'arry. I hear you caused a bit of a dust-up in potions today." Hagrid's tea-set was rather mismatched, no two cups the same, and nothing matching the teapot either. The biscuits, however, looked rather uniform, by comparison. "'elp yerself. We've got raisin and oatmeal, chocolate chip with a hint 'o mint, and even some chocolate ones with cream inside. I like the last ones best, meself."

Harry grinned as he sat at the table, "Thank you for inviting me, Mister Hagrid."

Hagrid nodded, then looked around, "Any o' yer friends come wi' ye?"

Harry shook his head, "No, just me today. I might have brought Ron, but he was insulting you so…"

Hagrid nodded understandingly, "I see. Well, don' jus' judge people right away on my behalf. I 'ear it all the time. Wha' they don't know won't hurt them none. Or not from me at least."

Harry grinned, and picked up one of the cream filled biscuits. "Shouldn't you have more animals? Being the groundskeeper might be more safe with a companion or two." Harry bit into the biscuit, savouring the rich chocolate filling. The flavour reminding him slightly of cooking sherry. Delicious.

Hagrid grinned and picked up one of the same biscuits, "Aye, I have a dog or two. But they're currently wit' the centaurs. Best animal doctors around. Seems they ate something that disagreed wit' them. Now, I assume ye have some questions fer me." Hagrid started pouring the tea into the cups, wordlessly offering Harry a plate with sugar, cream, and lemon.

Harry nodded, "How did you know about," Harry stopped suddenly, with Hagrid's finger against his mouth. He raised an eyebrow.

Hagrid quickly mentioned, "That thing yeh should never mention 'ere. It's not safe, if yeh get me meanin'. I know about that, because ever since I was in school, I've been lookin' inta things what would cause problems fer people. I'm sure there's a safe place or two in the castle where I could tell yeh, but I don't rightly know where they are. Maybe a friend could show yeh?" He again offered the plate.

Harry blinked, then nodded, "I'm sure I could find a friend to show me. But how would you know where I am?" Harry selected some lemon and sugar for his tea.

Hagrid grinned, "Those what need to know, will always find their way. The castle is right smart, that way."

Harry laughed, "So if we cannot find our classrooms, then we don't need to be there?"

Hagrid shook his head, "Nah, tha's jus' the school bein' sneaky. She likes bein' sneaky."

Harry pounced on that, "The school is alive?"

Hagrid shook his head slowly, "I don't rightly know. It may be, given 'ow things change all the time, but it doesn't seem to respond to words none. Maybe the 'eadmaster would know more. 'e's been 'ere a long time 'e has."

Harry sat back down, and started on another biscuit, "I don't know when I'll be able to talk to him. I've actually got questions about the ghosts here. Maybe he would know."

Hagrid blinked, "Now why would yeh ask about those? Ghosts are ghosts. Dead people."

Harry nodded, "Yes they are. And no they aren't. Ghosts, according to what the normal people say anyways, are echoes of people. Not the people themselves, but their memories. Have you ever heard of a ghost learning something after it died? Like, long term memory?"

Hagrid shook his head again, "Not that I've heard. They can remember from day to day, maybe, but more'n a week ago an' they can't remember anythin'. They remember their lives and all, but nothin' past that."

Harry nodded, "Yes, that matches what the mundane people have figured out. They get ghosts too, but theirs remembers their death and a bit past that."

Hagrid blinked, "Mundanes? Wha' those be?"

Harry shook his head, "Mundanes. Or 'danes, as I like to think of them. People without magic. Muggle sounds so...mean. And nasty. I'm trying to be polite. And there's nothing wrong with mundanity, because that's where science is and they've found out so many things about our world with science. It's great in its own way."

Hagrid grinned, and nodded. "I agree, that does sound better'n muggle. I migh' use that term meself." Harry then noticed that Hagrid was looking at a glass plate over the window, in which he could see a face. When Harry turned back, Hagrid grinned and held a finger over his mouth. He then continued talking, "So, aside from History, how are yer classes goin'? The only thing I heard about you was potions class today. Are yeh try'n ta hide among everyone?"

Harry shook his head, "No, I'm just following doctor's orders. It means less casting, and more thinking. I've found if I concentrate more, I get better results." Harry took a sip of his tea, then blinked as he noticed that it was almost gone.

"Ah, would yeh like some more? I think there's enough for another cup or two." Hagrid stood up, and lifted up the tea pot.

Harry looked up at the glass, and the face on it had shrunk down to a tiny dot. No new dots that he could see showed up on the device. "Another cup, please."

Hagrid poured the cup, and added two sugars and a small slice of lemon, "A good host remembers their guests preferences. Me da'd told me that years ago. Never forget."

Harry grinned, "Absolutely. I never saw you put sugar or lemon in yours. Do you drink yours straight?"

Hagrid nodded, "O' course. I like to have me tea without any seasonin'. Tastes more pure that way."

Harry nodded, "I can certainly agree with that." The glass over the window was clear now, no dots anywhere.

Hagrid finished pouring his own cup, set the teapot down, then explained, "It's a foe glass. Friend o' Dumbledore's mentioned them to me years ago. It looks like a shiny mirror most of the time, but shows people in it who mean you no good. As yeh can guess, I've got reasons to have one. Anything secret like, I would rather not talk about here. If yeh get yer friend to show you the secret rooms…"

Harry interrupted, "Do you mean the rooms with the four-colour robe students?"

Hagrid grinned, "Aye, the students of hogwarts. Not part of any houses anymore, they were pulled out because their lives were endangered. They still go to school, because everyone has a right to learn. They're hidden by the school to keep 'em safe. But no, their rooms are still too open. One o' the other hidden rooms might do."

Harry tilted his head, "Something on the third floor?"

Hagrid shook his head, "No," he stated emphatically, "While Fluffy would keep us safe, there are monitoring charms all down the hall. Yeh couldn't sneeze in there without it being recorded."

Harry frowned, "Wow, that doesn't leave much."

Hagrid nodded, "Precisely. Is why yeh need to ask a friend."

Harry blinked, his eyes opened wide, "You mean…?" he stopped when he noticed Hagrid trying to shush him. Harry grinned, "Oh, well, I hope I have a friend or two who can find these rooms. It would be a shame not to talk to you after all."

Hagrid grinned in reply, saying, "Yeh could still come by fridays for tea. Even in the winter months I've got a warm fire and a quiet place to sit and read. Yeh could even bring yer friends. Company is always welcome here."

Harry nodded, "Thank you, Hagrid. Maybe I should bring something next time? I don't mind cooking, maybe there's a place I could cook some food to bring…?"

Hagrid nodded, "Again, ask yer friend. Yeh might have to compete for counter space though."

Harry grinned, "That shouldn't be a problem, I'm small after all."

Hagrid grinned, "Well, yeh should go an' do yer homework. Maybe yer friend packed some extra books for yeh."

* * *

Harry climbed up the stairs towards Hogwarts castle. The front doors were open for the day, even though the sun was starting to get low in the sky. "Dobby," He whispered as he crossed the threshold.

Dobby appeared beside Harry, then quickly started walking to keep up with the (slightly) taller boy. "Dobby here. Mister Harry needs something?"

Harry grinned and replied, "Do you or your friends know about any hidden rooms in the school? I was thinking of just wandering around, but maybe you could help me find one faster."

Dobby tilted his head, his feet unerringly slipping along the floor silently, "Dobby no know any hiding rooms yet. Dobby can ask around. Does Mister Harry need right now?"

Harry shook his head, stumbling a bit when he lost his balance, "No, not right now. Mostly I need a place I can talk to my friends without being overheard. Someplace safe, where we could talk normally without hiding." Harry caught himself against the wall, paused, and then continued walking. He stepped onto a stair that just started changing directions, and Harry grinned as he wondered where the stairway would land him.

Dobby grinned, "Dobby know feeling. Sometimes good to be safe. Dobby go ask friends, maybe have answer later. You explore til then?"

Harry nodded, "there's so much castle here, but so much of it seems unused. I just want to look around for now. It's fun.

Dobby nodded, "Careful not go too high. Everyone who go to high get lost, sometimes never found."

Harry blinked, "How high is safe?"

Dobby chuckled, "Elveses can find you up to floor ten. Above that even elveses get lost."

Harry blinked, "But...the top of the astronomy tower is only eight floors up."

Dobby nodded, "Exactly. No one know how tall castle go."

Harry blinked, "I...understand. I think. So it's not really safe to go above the tenth floor then. Good to know. Maybe I should stay around seventh floor or so?"

Dobby nodded enthusiastically, "Seventh floor safe safe. Dobby go ask other elveses about secret rooms." and then popped away.

Harry looked down the hallway, down the stair well, and then stepped off onto the landing. "Right then."

During Harry's walk, he noted that the hallway seemed rather long. The castle was only a mile across, and he could swear that he had been walking for much longer than that. Just as that thought entered his head, the presumably straight hallway took a sharp turn to the right. Harry blinked, then commented out loud, "Wouldn't the center of the school be off to the left?" to Harry's immense surprise, the right turning hallway shimmered, then suddenly was going off in the opposite direction. Harry shivered, then said, "I wish I knew what floor I'm on." A door appeared beside him, showing a room number. 1272.

"I need to get back downstairs," Harry whispered, suddenly very afraid. He turned around, and before he could even take a step, the landing for the floor appeared in front of him, just as the stairs *thunk*ed into position for him to start climbing down.

Harry hurried down the stairs, passing several students, all the way down to the ground floor. Haltingly, Harry made his way to the Gryffindor tower.

Harry had just reached the painting for the Fat Lady, when Dobby showed up, "Mister Harry? Dobby has place. Want Dobby to take you?"

Harry breathed slowly, looking down. He then nodded wordlessly. Dobby held out his hand, and Harry placed his hand in Dobby's.

Harry's eyes opened wide as Dobby teleported him to a hallway. The teleport was so different. It was like stepping out of sunlight into shadows, and then back again into the torchlight of the hallway. In front of him, he could see a painting of someone teaching trolls to dance.

"School elveses calls it the come-and-go room." Dobby stated solemnly, "Room is there only sometimes, when you really needs it. When Elveses is needing cleaning supplies, comes to come-and-go room. If student need place to study, come-and-go room makes study room." Dobby turned, looking into Harry's eyes, "If needs secret room. Secret from everyone, come-and-go room can make. Mister Harry should make it. Need to walk in front of panting, back forth back forth. Think strong of room. After three time, room opens."

Harry nodded, then quietly asked, "Is that how the building is above this floor too?" Dobby tilted his head in query, so Harry hurried on, "I mean, I was on this floor, exploring, and I never stepped on any stairs, but suddenly I was on twelfth floor, and the area was responding to my thoughts."

Dobby shuddered, "You very lucky. Elveses when upstairs not have strong thoughts of home. Sometimes when come down stairs, is in different building, sometimes different country. Elveses lucky can port back. Sometimes Elveses go upstairs, never come down again. Is sad."

Harry sighed, "Does anyone know more about this?"

Dobby shook his head, "Dobby no think so."

Harry sighed again. He then looked up at the painting. "I don't know about answers to the school, but I might get _some_ answers if I make the room properly." Harry started pacing in front of the painting, thinking as strong as he could. After the third pass, a door appeared.

Dobby inquired, "What think about?"

Harry just grinned, and tapped on the door. The door itself seemed like most other doors in the school, but rather than a wooden 'knock' sound, Harry's tapping instead let out a dull ringing sound instead. "Come inside, I'll let you know."

Harry pushed on the door, and it took Dobby helping to budge the door open. Right after they slipped into the room, it slammed shut behind them.

Inside the room itself, were four large wooden chairs, and a very sturdy over-large chair. Each of the chairs was done up in a very old style, something you might expect to find in a museum. Around the room, rather than paintings on the walls, there were foe glasses on each wall. and aside from the door itself, and the wood of the chairs, everything in the room was purest white. Light suffused the room, seeming to come from the walls themselves, rather than any one light source. No shadows were visible anywhere. In the center of the room, between all the chairs, was a large white table. The table itself seemed to also give off the light, allowing no shadows below or above it. On the top of the table, were several books.

Dobby spoke quietly, "Dobby feels...safe."

Harry nodded, "This is a truly safe room. I don't know if it only exists now, or if it existed before, but the room I asked for was a room where we could be perfectly safe. Where no-one could come in uninvited, nor could they even find it. A room where we could talk with no-one ever overhearing us. A room where we could talk without pretending."

Dobby flinched, then sighed, "Dobby talk this way so long, might not be able to stop."

Harry nodded, "I understand that one. I had to pretend to be stupid in school to keep my aunt and uncle from getting upset at me for doing better than Dudley. It's a tough habit to break."

Dobby nodded, and was about to speak, when suddenly a quiet 'Ding' sound rang through the room.

Harry looked at the door, and a window could be seen in the door. Through the window was Hagrid, who appeared to be knocking on the window. Each time he touched the door, however, only the quiet bell-tone was heard.

Harry stated, "My friend Hagrid is invited to talk with us here."

The window in the door disappeared, leaving the look of aged wood. The door edged open, and Hagrid pushed his way inside. "That's a mite bit heavy there. 'ow'd you get in?"

Harry grinned, "Dobby helped me push the door open."

Hagrid nodded, and finished stepping inside. As with Harry, as soon as he cleared the door's path, it slammed shut again. "Now, this is different. I never expected this room to exist in Hogwarts."

Harry blinked, "What do you mean?"

Hagrid asked, "So, before I answer, is this room safe?"

Harry nodded, "It's as safe as I could make it. Or at least as safe as the school could make it."

Hagrid grinned, "I'll say. Had to walk up to the tenth floor to find you. Most students don't go up past the seventh floor unless they're going to astronomy."

Harry shook his head, "Okay, so this room exists elsewhere in the castle. Good to know. I wonder if it moves around?"

Hagrid blinked, "Wha' do you mean? Of course the room exists in the castle. And what do you mean elsewhere?"

Dobby bounced, "Dobby knows. We come to this room on seventh floor. Called it with the come-and-go room."

Hagrid blinked, then asked, "You mean the Room of Requirement exists? It's been a folk tale since I was in school. I mean, some people say they found it, but they could never go back to it."

Harry grinned, "Well, Elves live a long time, so they would be here longer to experiment on things like that. Dobby here might talk like a regular house elf, but I bet you he's at least as smart as Professor McGonagall in his own way."

Dobby blushed, "Dobby thanks you. All House Elveses is smart. We needs to talk silly silly to keep people happy. Easier to be nice to stupids, even a little bit."

Harry blinked, "You mentioned that talking silly was an effect of having too much magic?"

Dobby nodded, "Is that too. Gramma ma says much magics before made Elveses talk in rhyme and song. Made us talk around subject instead of about it. Dobby thinks is silly that way too, but less annoying this way."

Harry grinned, "I wonder how you'd score in a standardized test?"

Hagrid piped up, "Wha' is a standardized test?"

Harry replied, "In the mundane world, a standardised test is used to measure your progress or your ability - there are tests to see how intelligent you are, what your personality is like, how well you've learned the material in your classes and such. They use them to determine what your potential is, and then how well you realise that potential."

Hagrid nodded, "Well, I don't know anything about that. And what I meant was that this room looks a lot like another room I use with some co-workers."

Harry blinked, "What kind of co-workers?"

Hagrid smiled sheepishly, "We call ourselves the graces. We who fell from grace for various reasons. Me, because I was accused of killing a student in school with my pets. No trial or anything, just snapped my wand. Without any hint of proof. The others of the graces, I won't say anything about them. That's their stories to tell."

Harry nodded, "Only you can tell your stories, telling others stories without their permission is a breach of trust."

Hagrid nodded fervently, "Absolutely. It's also a breach of debt. One o' the permanent ones if I recall."

Dobby nodded, "Is true. Trust is important. Break trust, make debt."

Harry blinked, then asked, "How much debt do you owe, Dobby? Personally I mean."

Dobby thought, then slowly started talking, "Dobby...told lies when little. Dobby paid off by doing things for them. Dobby also told lies for bad master when Dobby was with him. Dobby punished for not making aurors believe. Dobby thinks bad master took that debt when punished Dobby. Dobby thinks...Dobby owes very little. Dobby thinks might owe _some_ to bad master, when Dobby collected Mister Harry's gifts."

Harry blinked, "How do you mean?"

Hagrid replied, cutting Dobby off, "It's one of those laws, actually. A thief is someone who steals things from others. If this bad master stole Dobby and your gifts, then when you retrieve your gifts, by law, you are allowed to claim items from the thief of similar or lower value. One item claimed for each item retrieved. The thing about that law is that neither the person stolen from (that's you) nor the person doing the stealing (that's this bad master person) can do the valuing on anything."

Dobby nodded, "Is true. When Dobby recovered gifts, Dobby picked up books from bad master. One book for each gift recovered."

Hagrid blinked, "Well, how did you get around the third person doing the valuing of the items?"

Dobby grinned, "Dobby not thief, and Dobby not victim. Dobby did values."

Harry winced, "I didn't see those books you picked up. Where are they?"

Dobby bounced, "In second side of trunk."

Hagrid groaned, "Okay, how badly did you over and under-estimate prices? Because you could'a ended up you and Harry here in a lot of debt with that."

Dobby shook his head, "Dobby looked at all gifts for Mister Harry. Went to stores, found prices. Price for Mister Harry's stuff accurate. Dobby also took books from where bad master had all of Mister Harry's gifts hidden. Lots of books there. Like Potter Family Grimoire. And a few others."

Harry shouted, "What? How did he get his hands on that?"

Hagrid sighed, "Easy, Harry. First, estate sales tend to happen with formally dead families. And with that new law that was put into place two years ago, if you don't claim your estate by the time you are ten, it can be sold off as a dead family sale. And second, you're not the only one who suffered from that law. I hear that there are orphans of old families that are going to lose their things due to that law."

Dobby nodded, "That law is law of government, not Law of Land." Harry could hear the capitals the way Dobby said this, "That way, is stolen items. Stolen items worth exactly one knut to thief. Same item is worth price of item, or one galleon, whichever bigger, to the victim. That ALSO in laws."

Hagrid sighed again, "Yeah, you're right on that one. How about the one month rule? If the recovered items and the extras are challenged for within a month, they could get another third party to estimate prices."

Dobby nodded, "Dobby think safe. Month ended four days ago."

Harry exclaimed, "What are you two talking about? This isn't in my copy of the book!"

Hagrid winced, then replied, "The book you likely got was the rules of debt. It basically defines things like how debt is handled, and what a debt is worth. Thing is, the book you got was likely printed in the last century. What me an' my coworkers found out, is that the older the book, the more accurate. Half the book you got is likely wrong. The only thing yeh can get at Saint Mungos is official information, and the government has been rewriting things for a long time. The book should be considered a guideline for now, until yeh can get an unabridged copy."

Harry snarled, "What about the child slavery bit? Is that real?"

Hagrid shook his head, "No, that's definitely not. If yeh had a kid, yeh could sell yer guardianship of the kid, but not the kid themselves."

Dobby piped up, "What with accent? Mister Hagrid has accent sometimes, sometimes not."

Hagrid coughed, "That's both an affectation, and how I spoke as a kid. Me da' was a workin' man, an' I learned ta speak from him. The rest is when I talk about intelligent stuff. I learned to speak clearly with my co-workers. I mess up sometimes though, and flip between the two withou' noticin'."

Harry breathed deeply, then sat down. "Maybe we could talk better, and calmer, if we were all sitting."

Hagrid nodded, "Righ' then."

Harry took a few seconds to breathe, then spoke up again, "You didn't want me talking about my curse in your house. Aside from whoever that was spying on us, why did you stop me?"

Hagrid nodded, "About tha'. Righ'. So, I got me a look at the official information abou' that spell ye likely got, and I got a look at the old documents on the spell. How many people escaped the curse according to the sheet you got?"

Harry frowned, then stated, "Two."

Hagrid nodded, and probed a bit more, "Did it say that they were seers?"

Harry nodded, "Yes. Did that lie as well?"

Hagrid shook his head, "Nah, it just left out a lot o' information. The seer information is specific for you, but about half o' the people who got cursed got out o' it even after the curse itself. Okay, d'ye want the simple information or the full information?"

Harry frowned, "How about what I NEED to know. We can get the full information some other time."

Hagrid nodded, "Right then. I only know this, because a schoolmate got it cast on her. Thing is, there's two of the spell. One for men, one for women. The government doesn't _need_ to okay the spell being cast, but they're the only ones who can teach it."

Harry frowned, "So it being authorized by the government is false. Okay. What's the next part?"

Hagrid continued, "Second part is that if you see the spell, like a seer, then you've locked the spell onto you. Meanin' ye can't stop the spell from bein' cast at all. It'll make sure it is cast."

Harry grimaced, "Can I say I hate that? Because I really do."

Hagrid frowned, "Ye'll hate the next part more. Because ye can't stop the spell from bein' cast, but ye can change who casts it. Say if it were Dumbledore who cast the spell at first, an' ye stop the debt from occurring with him. Now the spell will make it so ye owe enough debt to someone _else_, real debt or fake, to let it be cast. An' unless if ye know every ounce of debt ye ever owe, ye'll not know until it's too late to reverse or even stop the spell. Ye could still stop the slave part though, especially if the spell was cast using fake debt."

Harry sighed, "So if I know who cast it the first time, I need to let them cast it again so I can stop it?"

Hagrid shook his head, "It's no' so simple. Now we get to the next part. Another thing that was cut from the debts book. If someone starts collectin' obstructed debt, it becomes like a drug. They keep collectin' more an' more until stuff like this happens. But if ye claim that obstructed debt, it turns ta doubled debt. An' then the person's not going to gather more of it no more, because now it's soured on them."

Harry snarled, "Just great. So I can't stop the spell, and if I claim any debt, it's going to go off to have someone else cast it."

Hagrid shook his head, "No, ye just have to exclude that person from yer claimin' debts. Thing is, once the spell is cast, it is now cast, and ye can now claim that debt. It doesn'a have to even touch yeh. An' if the debt is doubled cause of yer claimin' it, then it'll affect them at the new debt amount."

Harry sighed, "Okay, is there more bad news? Like, does that thing with the girls happen like the book says?"

Hagrid grimaced, "It's worse than that. Government a few years back started the Hogwarts breedin' program."

Harry looked sick, "That sounds..evil."

Hagrid nodded, "Quite right. It was meant for the kids who were fifteen an' engaging in stuff tha's supposed to be for adults. If any kids came of it, they wouldn't stop the kid, but they'd have the mom have the baby sooner, an' given to a proper family. Any kids would be adopted in, an' they'd look just like any other kid of the family. Thing is, any squibs that 'appened that way would be sent to an orphanage. It's sad, it is."

Harry cried, "Is there ANY good news in this?"

Hagrid nodded, "There is a bit. If the one taken advantage of is the last o' their name, they get to claim line theft. So anyone who tried to do that wi' ye would end up wi' an instant life debt to ye."

Dobby piped up, "This old old law. Law of Land. Is bit more than that. Lords and Ladies of land can claim."

Harry sighed, "Well, that doesn't help ME. I'm not a Lord of the land, or anything really."

Dobby bounced, "Dobby can show tomorrow. Remember Dobby claimed things for Mister Harry, yes? Mister Harry's family grimiore have that information."

Harry sighed, "Okay, we'll leave that for tomorrow then."

Hagrid asked, "Wha' about you then? Got any secrets ye'd be willin' to share?"

Harry blinked, then asked, "What I tell you doesn't leave this room?"

Dobby bounced, "Dobby promises!"

Hagrid nodded, "I promise as well."

Harry sighed, "Well, I've got a couple. Dobby knows this one already. Have you seen the movie Star Wars?"

Hagrid shook his head, "No, never 'eard of it."

Harry nodded, "Okay, what it is, is a different type of magic. They call it the Force, and they can do things like dodge really well, and pick things up with their minds. I'm learning that right now."

Hagrid raised an eyebrow, "Movies, ain't those made up things?"

Dobby bounced, "Dobby know Force! Is real. Dobby no can do, but can see Force."

Hagrid blinked, "Okay, so that's one person who…" He suddenly stopped talking as Harry pointed to one of the books on the table, slowly lifted it up without even touching it, and gently scooped it out of the air when it came close. "Right then. I'll call it a type of wandless magic."

Harry grinned, "Close enough. The other one is a bit strange. Remember at Saint Mungos, where the mediwitch said I have a squibbing core?"

Hagrid nodded, "Right strange it is. Most people who have those can't cast magic regular-like."

Harry nodded, "Okay, that squibbing core is called different things by different people. Dobby says that House Elves call it the Death of Magic." Dobby nodded furiously, "And Wizards call it a squibbing core. There's another group I heard of, and they call it a Linker Core."

Hagrid looked confused, "What does it link to?" Dobby nodded again.

Harry sighed, "I don't know perfectly, but those people have devices that can use magic from that core. I have one that I accidentally made." Harry reached into a pocket and pulled out the red marble inside, "Her name is Raging Heart. She was just a glass marble I found one day, and then when I pushed magic into her, she was made."

A bell-tone rang, and the marble flashed in Harry's hand. 'Standing by' could be heard by everyone in the room.

Harry sighed again, "The thing is, I think I accidentally did something wrong. When she was being made, a portal was opened somewhere, and then it closed when I started hurting. Ever since then my magic level has been really low, which you know already. She's been in standby mode since then."

Hagid nodded slowly, "Yer sure it was just a marble before?"

Harry nodded, "Found by some mundane houses in the mundane city near a mundane park. Completely normal."

Hagrid slowly grinned, "I've heard o' things like that before. Reg'lar things gaining magic. First time I've ever heard of one speaking though."

Dobby grinned, "First time for everything!"

Harry laughed, "So, you know my deep dark secrets then."

Hagrid nodded, "Aye, an' ye have a couple o' mine. It is getting a bit late though. Maybe we should head back to bed." Hagrid stood, and heaved the door open, "Heavy thing, ain't it?" and let Dobby and Harry out. Just before he left, Hagrid smirked as he watched everything disappear from the room. "Jes' like it."

* * *

"Apologize I do, for making you wait so long."

Harry opened his eyes and replied, "Good evening Master Yoda." Harry looked down, and found himself again borrowing the body of the head-tailed person.

Yoda nodded and said, "A month I said until we talked. Two days I hope you can forgive."

Harry smiled and nodded, "A master's time is precious. I forgive you, although I don't think you need it. Instead I think I should thank you for what time you give."

Yoda smiled, "All night we would take determining this. To cut it short, better it is. More energy you have, I see. Changed, what has?"

Harry grinned, "I've been eating different foods, and I'm now at my magic school. Everything is brilliant here. We have ghosts and goblins and professors who teach the most amazing subjects."

Yoda nodded, "Keeping up, are you?"

Harry nodded, "I'm trying, at least. I've also been practicing my Force abilities too. They don't tire me out completely anymore."

Yoda nodded, "Good, that is. Practice, we shall."

Over the next hour, Harry felt that he had lifted more things than everything he had lifted put together. Rather than lifting only one book or ball, he was holding four up in the air. The concentration for it was exhausting, keeping track of each item as well as lifting it.

"Enough that is," Yoda declared, "Tiring this is for you. One more thing before you go back. A personal touch, your training needs. Elsewhere am I needed. So to you, I am sending teachers."

Harry sighed, then asked, "How will they get here?"

Yoda smiled, "A way there should be, from us to you. Find that way, a Jedi can. How long it will take, I know not. Tomorrow they leave. The one who you are with right now. Dia, her name is. The beacon she will be, to find you. When next we shall speak, I know not. Be well. May the Force be with you."

* * *

Omake file: Chapter 7

"what really happens in those scene breaks?" is something that has been asked of me.

it has ALSO been asked why do the split-scene chapters, that fly all over the place.

here is what happens in a five minute period, in my head, IN STORY.

I don't write it all, for obvious reasons.

Also: SPOILER ALERT! Don't read if you don't want any spoilers!

SCENE:

Harry walked up the stairs in hogwarts, calling Dobby's name.

Yoda demonstrated to the younglings the first form practice movement using a training blade.

Egon tinkered on a new addition to the proton packs.

Nanoha started casting Divine Buster at the running red-head, rather upset that the martial artist had knocked all eight balls from an Axel Shooter from the sky with well-placed strikes.

Hermione sat in the library, wondering why the essay she was writing for charms class wasn't matching up with what she was reading from the books. No-where in the magical books did it mention mnemonic anything.

Dobby heard Harry's call, and teleported to him.

Ahsoka wandered through the e-market, picking out things that would help on her trip. Survival kit is a must, including seeds for her favourite plants.

Hagrid polished the foe-glass, waiting until even the tiny specks disappeared from the edges.

Selene poured some nightshade into the potion she was working on. Maybe this would help with the visions.

Liara argued with her mother, demanding to know why they weren't even allowed to send scouts to inhabited worlds. Better to know about potential problems before they became real problems.

Angelique (Angel to her friends) struggled to write out her charms homework. She really did not understand why a swish was different from a flick. She smirked as she noticed Hermione, who was assigned the same homework, also struggling with the question. Served the know-it-all right.

Luna puttered around in the printing press room, adding some blue to the shiny green ink. Maybe a more blue colour will help boost readership?

"Excellent," The man laughed to himself, "Little Potter has more problems still. Maybe this time he will die permanently."

...yeah. and there are about seven OTHER people that are for almost-current plots that I refuse to spoil.

I really am trying to keep everything logical, but sometimes big scenes show up in different universes. then they get written.

Remember, this is all just one five minute period.

* * *

Omake: In the library

Hermione started as a hand landed on her shoulder, "Hey, would you like some help with that? Maybe we could work together." The girl was one of the shorter girls in the year, with brown hair fading to red in a few places. She was dressed in Hufflepuff robes, that seemed to have been cleaned and pressed recently.

Hermione grimaced, "I don't know if help will work. What I was writing was _supposed_ to be a summary of what the first year books say, but it came out different. Like here, in the book: A swish is to help with accelleration, either of the spell or of an object. And yet what I wrote down has nothing to do with that. Swishes, flicks, pokes, twists, turns, and wiggles are all simple mnemonics to help memorize how the spell feels and then to call that same feeling back when casting the spell at a later date. Nowhere NEAR the four inches I was assigned, and I can't even think of a diagram to put in to fill out the space!"

Angel nodded, "That sounds frustrating. Why not put in the downsides? There's got to be some, shouldn't there?"

Hermione grinned, "That's brilliant. Thank you! My name's Hermione, by the way. Hermione Granger."

The other girl nodded, "Everyone knows you. Smartest girl in the year, or at least that's the nicest of the comments. My name's Angelique. Angelique Rosewood. Angel to my friends. I'm also having problems writing the answer to this. Mostly because I can't put it in my own words."

Hermione grinned wider, "I could help you with that!"

Angelique shook her head, "Sorry, it does need to be in my words. Hard work is what Hufflepuff thrives on, right? Anyways, take care."

Hermione's smile slowly faded, "Take care of yourself as well." Her smile faded completely into a firm look as Angelique left. She wouldn't let this bother her. She wouldn't.


End file.
